The Misadventures of Nora
by xXxDreamscapexXx
Summary: Nora had thought that her life was crazy before she died. She quickly changes her mind on that when she finds herself thrown into a world of Devil Fruits and pirates.
1. Dying Is Not Fun

**Hello everyone! Thank you for clicking on this story and checking it out! If you haven't already figured, this is a One Piece OC fanfiction! I've been planning to write this story for ages and I finally got around to it and honestly, I'm having so much fun writing it!**

 **There will a bit more of an author's not at the end of the chapter, but for now, I hope you enjoy the beginning of this story!**

* * *

The Misadventures of Nora

Chapter 1

Dying Is Not Fun

* * *

You know those scenes that you always see in the movies, the ones where the main character has been having an awful day and they say 'at least it can't get any worse' only for it to get worse _immediately_ after? Well that was exactly how Nora's day had gone. Except it didn't just start raining on her or anything, no that was _far_ to cliche for her. Instead, she had ended up dying.

Yes. _Dying_. Now you may be wondering _how?_ Well to understand that, we'd have to go back to the start of the day. Before the whole dying thing had happened.

It had been just like any typical day for her. She had woken up and done her normal morning routine; showering, getting dressed, makeup, hair and basically everything you would expect an eighteen year old university student to do before class. It truly had started out as a normal day. It was when she had walked into her classroom that her day had started to take a turn for a worse.

Someone had taken _her_ seat.

Now to some, that may not sound like a major incident, but to anyone who had been in the schooling, they would _know_. Once you'd sat in a seat for more than a week it was yours. Perhaps if it she had only been sitting in that seat for two weeks at most, she would have been able to understand. But no, she had been sitting in that seat for almost a whole year. Yes a _year_. Someone had taken decided to take her seat when the year was almost over.

Nora was _not_ impressed.

In an attempt to avoid any conflict, she had begrudgingly made her way over to a new seat. Next week she'd just have to get there a bit earlier and reclaim the seat. One lesson wouldn't be so bad is what she had thought but of course in true protagonist style, it had been. The girl she had sat next to would not shut up. Getting a degree in Crime Scene Investigations was hard enough without some girl yapping in her ear about her breaking up with her boyfriend.

Once the class had finally ended, she decided that she didn't hate the guy who stole her seat as much as she did when she had first seen him. She _understood_ now.

After that, her day had actually been going pretty well that is, until lunch happened. Now normally, lunch was Nora's favourite part of the day. It was a brief moment of peace where she could enjoy some food, relax and just forget about her life's stress. She had expected her lunch that day to be just like the other days. Only it didn't. And _no_ , she didn't do the cliche walk into the 'popular girl' and get covered in food thing.

Instead, she had punched a teacher.

Perhaps in any other situation that sentence may have made her sound like a violent 'I don't care' sort of person, but that wasn't the case. She actually _did_ care. What had happened was that she had accidently punched her teacher. In the face. While screeching. Now how did _this_ occur? How did she manage to accidentally punch a teacher in the face while screaming?

Well it was actually quite simple. She had been sitting at a table, earphones drowning out the world as she enjoyed her pasta when she had felt an _unnaturally_ cold hand touch her. So, like any normal person would, she let out a screech and swung her arm backwards. Okay, so maybe it hadn't been the most normal thing to do but she _had_ stayed up until 3 AM the night before watching creepy videos on YouTube.  
 _  
She wasn't going to take any chances._

The incident had been embarrassing to say the least and while her teacher had been understanding of the fact that it was an accident, he _definitely_ hadn't been happy. After that event, she had come to terms with the fact that she was having a _bad_ day. She had spent the rest of her day on campus moping around and doing her best to tune out the rumours of a girl supposedly punching a teacher. When her last lecture of the day had finally ended, she had all but sprinted off of the campus. She'd only been having a bad day since she had arrived on campus so she had assumed once she left, things would begin to pick up.

Unfortunately it didn't.

Not wanting to head home, as usual, Nora had decided to go for a wander around the nearby park and try to write for a while. It was a lovely place full of beautiful flowers and birds chirping and was truly one of the only places she hadn't come to hate in the city she had spent her life in. Once she had reached the park she wondered around for a while, admiring the beauty of it all, before stopping in her favourite part.

It was a small lake, maybe even small enough to be considered a pond, surrounded by trees and wild flowers. The area felt so secluded that when sitting there and writing, she almost felt like she had gone to another world and left the dreadful city behind. She always found herself coming back to that spot. Whether it was to think, write, read or even just sit and stare at the beautiful surroundings, she found herself constantly stopping by.

Deciding against plugging in her earphones, the day's earlier events still haunting her, Nora sat down, leaning against a tree trunk before taking out her journal and pen. She began to write about her day in the journal, including everything from waking up in the morning to finding herself in front of the lake once again. Writing in a journal, recording all the bits of her a day, was a habit that she had picked up when she was younger after having to watch her grandmother suffer through dementia.

The thought of one day forgetting everything terrified her. Whether it was good or bad memories, she wanted to keep them all. They were a part of who she was. In fear of this, she had turned to journal writing which had then led to her growing a passion for all sorts of writing.

After discovering her passion for writing, her dream soon followed. She hoped to someday write a great adventure story. Perhaps something like _Lord of the Rings_ or _Percy Jackson & the Olympians_ or maybe even something like _One Piece_. Whether it was fiction or nonfiction, she didn't care. She just hoped that one day she would be able to write a story that she was truly proud of.

When she had taken a break from her writing and looked up, she realised that it was beginning to get late. It was finally time for her to return home.

Packing up her belongings and placing them into her bag, Nora left the park and prepared herself to return to the hell that she called home. She took her usual route back home, the one that took the longest, and weaved through the busy streets. Realising that it was getting darker, she picked up her speed in order to avoid the lecture that she just knew would be waiting for her.

It was when she was less than two blocks away from her home that it had happened.

She had been crossing the road when she had heard a deafening screech of tires and honking horns coming from around the corner. Having lived in the city long enough to realise that it was probably a drunk driver, Nora quickly ran to the other side of the road, not wanting to be anywhere near the car that was getting closer by the second. She had managed to make it to the other side before the car had coming swerving around the corner, only that hadn't been enough to get her out of the _definitely_ drunk drivers way. The car had veered off of the road and onto to sidewalk, heading straight for her.

Before she had the chance to dive out of the way, the car had collided with her and everything had gone black just as the searing pain had travelled through her body.

* * *

And that was how she had died.

Her one wish was that she passed out before the pain had hit her because it had _hurt_. She doubted she'd ever feel something as painful as that again. If she had somehow managed to survive that, it would leave a nasty scar. Speaking of which, would that scar be on her body in heaven or perhaps her next life? Were those even a real thing or would she just cease to exist?

At least her outfit has been cute is she ended up being stuck in that for the rest of her afterlife. Although perhaps not practical if she ended up in the fiery depths of hell… Then again, she'd be hot even if she wasn't wearing a jacket.

It was then that her eyes began to flutter open, confusing her. Had she _not_ died? Or was reincarnation actually a thing? She hadn't experienced the sensation of giving birth, something she was eternally thankful for, and she hadn't floated around in darkness with a mysterious voice talking to her either. It had just felt like she had passed out or something. So she really hadn't died?

Those thoughts flew out the window when she noticed she was on a beach. She could feel the warm sand against her palms and make out the soft crashing of waves. Either someone had been playing a prank on her or she was going to spend eternity on a beach. Sure that didn't sound to bad in theory but an eternity of having sand in your pants was not the sort of life (or was it afterlife?) that Nora wanted to live. She really hoped this was just her mind being drugged up with painkillers. She always had been more of an indoors sort of person.

As she there on the warm sand, she decided that whether or not she was dead or majorly drugged up, she might as well go and take a look around. Laying around wasn't going to answer any of her questions and it certainly wouldn't achieve anything. Hopefully it wasn't just a beach. Maybe they'd have some creepy sort of ghost town. If she was drugged up, that was probably something she'd manage to come up with. Maybe she'd be lucky and the ghost town would have some food…

Getting up off of the sand she turned around only to see a town almost directly in front of her. Not only was there a town, but there was people as well! Maybe she really _was_ still alive!

The fact that the town looked vaguely familiar also helped to reignite her faith of being alive. Perhaps she had been taken to some sort of retreat in an attempt to help her recover from the awful injuries she was certain she would have received from getting hit by that car. The town in question was located on, from what she could see, a round island and on that island was dirt roads and two story buildings everywhere. From her spot on the beach, she could just make out the bustling movements of people as they went about their daily lives. The most eye catching part of the town had to be the giant building in the centre labeled 'Marine.' It stood taller than any other building and she almost felt as if the building was glaring down at her, just waiting for her to make a mistake.

 _Wait! What?_ Nora froze up, her eyes bugging out as she realised just why this town looked so familiar. _Marines?!_

This town, it was from _One Piece!_ This was the island where Luffy and Zoro first met!

This realisation made Nora's brain run on overdrive, trying to explain how and why she was here. There was no way that she had somehow died and 'magically' ended up in _One Piece_. Her life wasn't a fanfiction. This just could not be possible. She was definitely having some sort of drug induced dream right now. But then again, everything seem so detailed… She had never been one to lucid dream before so the fact that she was controlling her movements made her feel as though it wasn't a dream, that this was real.

But if it wasn't a dream, how could she explain ending up in an alternative universe? That sort of thing didn't just happen!

With all these thoughts and theories still racing through her head, she stopped staring at the Marine base with that dumb look on her face and slapped her cheeks with her hands. She needed to get herself together. Having a mental breakdown on the beach wasn't going to solve anything, she decided. With a self assured nod to herself, she began the short walk towards the town. Standing around on the beach wouldn't get her any answers. She'd need to go into the town and figure out what the hell was going on. As she walked down the dirt roads, a stroke of determination running through her blood, she saw a dock. She couldn't help but get her hopes up as she walked past it, noting the small rowboat that had been secured by ropes.

Could it be that she had managed to end up on the island at the same time as Luffy, Coby and Zoro? If this all was real, being able to just see them would surely be a sight to see. But then again, it was a dock, she really shouldn't get her hopes up. Of course there would be boats docked there.

As she made her way further into the town, she began to see more and more people and she began to feel more and more out of place. Looking around the streets, she couldn't help but feel her outfit was a bit out of place. Skinny jeans and cargo jackets really didn't fit the theme that the island had going but she supposed she'd stand out more if she decided to go around in her birthday suit. Just seeing the people of the town, moving around and going about their daily lives, everything about the town began to seem so real.

While observing the people around her, Nora realised that perhaps she wasn't reacting to this situation in the most normal way. Truthfully, she should be hoping that she hadn't died and this was all a dream, but she wasn't. She knew better. She had felt that car hit her and she knew there was no way she could of survived that. The sharp sting of pain that had rattled through her whole body when she bad hit was enough proof of that. She would have been able to figure that out even without nearly two years spent working towards getting her Crime Scene Investigations degree. You didn't need to have studied the aftermath, to have been to the sight, of drunk driving crashes to know that a head on collision at that speed would have killed her. The human body was capable of surviving a lot of things but unfortunately, in her case, she didn't believe it would be able to survive that accident.

She did, however, have to admit that the whole _One Piece_ world thing was a bit odd. Maybe she'd end up figuring that out on a later date. Maybe she had just somehow ended up in the right place at the right time. Even if the chances were one in a million, she just may have ended up being that one. Too lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the approaching person until it was too late and they had bumped into each other.

"Ah!' The person said, letting out a yelp. "I-I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine. I should've been paying attention!" Nora replied, frantically waving her arms in apology as she quickly turned around to face the boy. When she was facing him, she felt her eyes grow wide in pure shock.

There, standing directly in front of her was Coby and Luffy. Yes, the Coby that would one day go onto to be a strong and kind Marines and Luffy, the man would one day become the Pirate King. They were actually there, right in front of her. She had somehow managed to end up on the island, at the same time as them and as if that wasn't enough, she had managed to bump into them.

"Hey!" Luffy suddenly asked, snapping her out of her shock, his signature grin spreading widely across his face. "Can you lead us to the marine base?"

"...The marine base?" She finally managed to speak after a few moments of silence, her mind practically going haywire because _there was no way this was possible!_

"The streets are way too confusing here and I really want to go see Pirate Hunter Zoro!" He explained, looking around the winding streets with deflating shoulders. "We keep getting lost."

"I actually only just got here today. Sorry..." She finally replied after she discovered that blinking repeatedly didn't make the duo vanish from her sights. She had been going to leave it at that but something had urged her to continue, to go along with them for a bit longer, just to see if all of this really _was_ real. "But this Pirate Hunter sounds kinda interesting, mind if I tag along?"

"He does doesn't he!" Luffy said, nodding so enthusiastically that his hat almost fell off. "If he's a good guy, I'm gonna have him join my crew!"

"He's not a good guy!" Coby said as he all but shook in fear, causing her to smile slightly. "He's a monster!"

"A pirate hunter who's a monster?" She said with a laugh, shaking her head slightly. As she ran slightly to keep up with the pair, she turned to look at Luffy, doing her best not to freak out like the hardcore _One Piece_ fan that she truly was. "You said crew. Are you a pirate?"

"Yeah!" Luffy said as he nodded his head excitedly, the straw hat almost falling off. "One day I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"

The people around them on the streets flinched at the boys loud remark and jumped away from the trio, the notion of pirates scaring them. Nora on the other hand had a completely different reaction to his statement. She almost felt as if she had just been blown away. Reading it was one things, hearing it while watching the anime was another but actually being there, in person was a whole other story. She could practically see the adventures he would soon go on flashing through his mind. It would truly be a true adventure, one that deep down, just like any person who had grown up being a fan of One Piece, she wished she could be a part of. To sail the seas as a fearless outlaw all while writing the adventure book of her dreams. It sounded surreal.

But she knew that that wouldn't happen. She wasn't naive. She simply wouldn't even have the option to join. She didn't have any of the skills Luffy needed and even if she had, there was already people waiting to take those spots. And on top of all of that, there was the fact that she really didn't have any experience in combat or self defence: she'd end up dying before they even made it to the Grand Line!

"The Pirate King, huh?" She mused aloud, shaking away her thoughts. "That will take you on one hell of an adventure."

"How can you be so calm after hearing that?" Coby all but screeched as he turned to point an accusing finger at her, his eyes bugging out in shock.

"Well if he says he's going to he will." Nora replied, turning to the short boy, scratching at the side of her head with a smile. To keep the conversation going with the two that she could only ever dream of meeting, she brought up a topic she knew they would understand. "I want to write the most amazing story one day. It's always been a silly dream of mine"

"A story?" Luffy asked, his eyes suddenly growing wide with childlike wonder. "Join my crew!"

"...Huh?" She replied her face falling slack as her brain seemingly stopped functioning. When she took in what he had said, she all but yelled out her response. "I can't be a pirate! I'm nowhere near strong enough for that. I don't want to go to sea and die!"

"But you said become the Pirate King would be an adventure." Luffy whined, looking at her with the promise of adventure shining in his eyes. "And besides, I'm strong enough to protect my crew."

As she looked and him and thought about it, the adventures and the friends she would be able to make, she wanted to accept. To just forget about everything else, about not being strong enough or fitting into the crew, and just saying yes. To forget that she already knew the story, how things went and just pretend that maybe she was meant to sail with them. If she were to agree, she'd experience so many things, from the adventures she'd seen, but untold ones as well. It truly would be the adventure of a lifetime.

But she couldn't say yes.

"Sorry but I'm really not fit to be a pirate." She replied as she smiled at the pair. She knew it was the right choice. "I don't really have any skills that you'd need and I don't have any experience when it comes to sailing.'"

She had been preparing herself to have to turn him down a few more times before he accepted that she wouldn't join his crew but before this happened, Coby alerted them to their arrival at the marine base.

We've already made it there? She thought, glancing up with furrowed eyebrows. I could have sworn it would be further away…

Realising that Luffy had managed to distract her for the majority of the trek to the base, she stared up at the building, in both awe and excitement. The building was even more imposing up close, it's form casting an icy shadow over the town. Perhaps she would have been more intimidated and against going any closer but the fact that Zoro was just on the other side of this wall seemed to outweigh her instincts. She was going to witness the very first meeting between the captain of the soon to be infamous Straw Hats and his first mate. This was certainly going to be something she'd remember for the rest of her life (Or was it afterlife? She was yet to decide on that one).

"It looks so big up close!" Luffy exclaimed, voicing her earlier thoughts as they stood in front of the gates. "Go on in Coby!"

She felt a small smile come onto her face at the interaction. Seeing how kindhearted and caring Luffy was to others had always been one of her favourite things about the boy. She wished she had had someone like him in her life, someone who would stick by her no matter what happened. Perhaps that would have made things better.

"B-But I haven't mentally prepared myself yet…" Coby protested, his nerves being obvious by the look on his face. "And those people were scared when they heard the captain's na- Luffy! What're you doing?!"

"I'd assume he's looking for the so called beast." Nora said smiling gently as she glanced over at Coby. "I wonder if he's really on the other side…"

"Of course he won't be!" Coby replied to her with a shake of his head before turning to glance up at Luffy who had decided to head to the fence to try and look over it. "You won't find him just by peeking over the fence. He's probably deep within the bowels of the prison."

"Oh yeah?" Luffy said as he began to run to get a better look, having caught a breif glance of a figure on the other side. "Maybe it's Zoro!"

Not wanting to miss her chance to witness the scene in front of her, Nora ignored Coby's terrified exclamation and ran after Luffy, dragging the terrified boy behind her. The three of them perched over the top of the wall and stared into the courtyard below. Luffy was smiling like an idiot, Coby was shaking and doing his best to hide all while she looked on with an excited smile on her face. Then there was Roronoa Zoro, tied in the middle of the courtyard below, looking absolutely terrifying. Something she personally found to be quite remarkable considering the fact that it had been a long time since he'd eaten.

Suddenly, Coby's eyes widened and he fell from the wall, a look of absolute terror on his face. She couldn't really blame him. Zoro was regarded as a fearsome man in the East Blue and the intimidating aura surrounding him helped to prove why.

"You all good?" She asked, glancing down at the now pale boy, nodding happily when she noticed no broken bones. It had been quite the fall but of course, this _was_ a manga so it made sense that he was fine.

While Coby began to freak out over the fact that it was really Zoro, Nora stared at the swordsman, bound to cross. It was really quite the site to be seen. He looked so threatening but then in reality he just wasn't. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't see him as terrifying. The comical scenes she had seen over the years playing through her head. As she thought about his horrible sense of direction, she couldn't help but let out a little laugh.

That was when all thoughts of him not being terrifying went out the window. The glare he sent in her direction sent shivers down her spine and she could say without a doubt that it was one of the scariest glares she had ever been on the receiving end of.

"So _that's_ him. Hmm..." Luffy said, now looking back over at his future crew member. "I could just untie those ropes and set him free."

"You could. But if he's terrifying as they say he could probably do it on his own." Nora spoke from besides him. Shaking of the shivers from Zoro's glare, she continued. "Maybe he doesn't want to be freed."

"Doesn't want to be freed…?" Luffy mumbled quietly, tilting his head to the side in confusion, ignoring the terrified shouts of Coby.

"Hey kid. Come over here and untie me." The man himself finally spoke, looking up with a smirk on has face. "I've been here for nine days and I can't take it anymore."

"Hey!" Luffy said with a confused look coming onto his face. "He's smiling."

"He's really not looking to good." Nora said, staring at the blood that was dripping down his chin, wincing at the pain he would be feeling. "Not eating for that long should have killed him."

"H-He's talking to us!" Coby stuttered out, once again using the wall as a sort of shield. "I told you he was a beast! Only beasts can survive that long without eating!"

Well, she couldn't really disagree with that statement.

"I'll make it worth your while." Zoro said, beginning to bargain with them, making an offer to catch someone with a bounty on their head. Perhaps if Luffy had met Nami already, they would be taking him up on that offer.

"D-Don't do it Luffy!" Coby yelled at Luffy. "As soon as you untie him, he'll kill us and get away. I just know it."

"I don't think that's possible after not eating for nine days." She contemplated aloud. Despite him being strong, the effects that that would have on his body should make it impossible for him to even move properly. And then there was the matter of the blood dripping down his chin. "Especially if it looks like he's got internal bleeding."

 _Well that would be the case if he were a normal person_. Nora thought with a small smile on her face, shaking off those thoughts. _This world is completely different and none of the normal facts really apply._

"He won't kill us." Luffy spoke with a confident smile on his face. "He couldn't. I wouldn't let him."

It was then that the swordsman looked up with a glare even more terrifying than the one that she'd received minutes before. She felt another chill run down her spine at the terrifying look. He _really_ wasn't a normal person… It was as she was fretting over how terrifyingly strong he really was that a ladder was placed along the wall besides her. Catching both Luffy and Coby's attention, they watched on in confusion at the sight of the young girl.

"Het! D-Don't go down there!" Coby managed to say, his face paling in fear. "It's dangerous!"

But of course, the girl, whose name Nora couldn't remember for the life of her, ignored his warning and hopped over the fence, heading towards the swordsman. She had to commend the girl for her bravery, when she was that age, there was no way she would have had the courage to approach someone so intimidating. Even now she was sitting back with shivers running down her spine everytime he so much as glared in her direction.

"What do you want?" Zoro questioned, confusion evident in his tone as he stared down at the girl who was now stood in front of him. "Get lost! Do you _want_ to get killed?"

"I made these rice balls for you! I thought you might need some food!" The young girl said as she held them out with a smile, all while remarkably ignoring the harsh glare. "It's the first time I've ever made rice balls. I hope you like them!"

As she watched Zoro do his best to refuse them, she smiled slightly. Even though she saw him as quite the intimidating person, seeing him do so much to protect people he didn't even know made her happy. What _didn't_ make her happy, however, was that the annoying, pre character development version of Helmeppo would be making an appearance soon.

"Roronoa Zoro!"

And there he was, looking like the smug, spoiled brat that he was.

"You shouldn't pick on little girls." Helmeppo spoke as he walked into the courtyard, two marines following behind him. "I'll tell my father on you."

 _Looks like we've got a Draco Malfoy on our hands._ Nora thought with a small snort. _Does that make Luffy the Harry Potter of this series?_

"Who's that weirdo?" Luffy questioned, the three of them still watching on from their spot hanging over the wall. Truthfully, Nora's arms were beginning to get tired. She didn't have the strength to hold herself up for this long.

"He must be some high ranking naval officer." Coby said, letting out a breath of relief. "Now that little girl will be safe."

"Him? A high ranking naval officer?" She spoke with a scowl forming on her lips. "I doubt it. If anything she's in _more_ danger."

"But he's a marine!" Coby said, looking at her with a frown of denial. "The marines are the good people."

She didn't have the heart to reply and crush his dreams of the marines being the true justice in this world so instead, she turned back to watch the events that were taking place in the courtyard below them.

"Well if it isn't the _idiot son_ living off his daddy's wealth." Zoro said, sending another glare towards the blonde. Silently, she cheered him on for his statement because she couldn't agree more with him.

"Did you just call me an idiot?" Helmeppo said, glaring back at the swordsman. Nora had the urge to yell out a 'you bet he did!' but figured it would be best for her to stay quiet. "A man in your position should guard his tongue… or he could lose it!"

It was then that the frown on her face deepened. Helmeppo just snatched one of the rice balls from the little girl, showing just how cruel he was. As Nora glared daggers his way, he took a bite of it before spitting it out, a look of pure disgust on his face. As annoyed as she was at him, his face when he spat it out was absolutely _hilarious_. Seeing him suffer, even slightly, lifted her mood ever so slightly. It felt as if he was getting a small bit back of what he deserved for treating the townspeople so horribly. Her joy dissipated when he threw the other rice balls on the ground and began stomping on them though. She really did hate how Helmeppo was at this stage in the story. His character development just couldn't come soon enough.

"You were right… How evil." Coby said to her as he watched on his horror, the reality of the situation dawning on him. "That little girl worked really hard to make those rice balls!"

"Not everyone connected to the marines is a good person." She replied with a sad shake of her head as she thought of all the other horrible marines. "Being in a position of power can often lead to people abusing that power."

As they continued to watch on, Nora couldn't help but want to jump over and punch the idiot son, as Zoro had called him. She knew she couldn't though. There were things that needed to happen and if she were to interfere, it just wouldn't be right. There was a set storyline that needed to be followed and she couldn't allow herself to change any of that. Perhaps she was already interfering too much by just being here… She was brought out of her thoughts when Luffy fell from the wall as he caught the young girl.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Luffy climbing back over the the fence, no doubt to go and have a talk with his future first mate. Turning away from them, she made her way down to the ground and headed over towards Coby and the young girl.

"Are you okay?" Coby asked the girl as he checked her over for any injuries. "What a bad man…"

Joining him in checking over her for any obvious injuries, she scanned her body with a worried frown. Luffy _was_ rubber so that would get rid of most of the impact but she had been thrown quite hard: there was still the chance that she may have been hurt. The marine who had grabbed her had had a tight grip on her as well… After checking her over she found nothing and let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't a fan of young children getting hurt. She simply couldn't bear to see it.

"I can't see any injuries but tell me if it hurts anywhere." She said as she ruffled the girl's hair with a gentle smile. She then turned to look up behind her, just in time to see Luffy climbing over the fence. "Did you have a good chat?"

"He's a good guy." Luffy said with a nod as he adjusted his straw hat before sending a big smile at her. "The three of us are gonna make a great crew!"

"I told you I wasn't going to join your crew. I'm not suited to being a pirate." She replied with a shake of her, coming to realise that turning him down was going to be a lot more effort than she originally thought. "I don't think you even know my name. Or anything about me for that matter"

"I already know your dream! You just need to tell me your name." Luffy said with the grin still on his face. "Then you can join my crew!"

"Well then, I guess I just won't tell you my name." She replied, sticking her tongue out at the now protesting boy, a small laugh escaping past her lips. He really was such a kind person. "We should probably get out of here for now."

"That's a good idea." Coby agreed with a nod. "Let's leave before that guy comes back."

* * *

"Really?" The young girl whose name Nora had learned was Rika, exclaimed. They were currently sat outside, back on the streets, listening to Luffy's story of what had happened when he went and talked to Zoro.

"Yeah he ate it all up!" Luffy affirmed with an enthusiastic nod.

"I'm so glad!" Rika said with a grin rivalling Luffy's. Seeing her in high spirits despite the earlier events made Nora smile. She was a brave little girl.

"Could that guy really be as bad as everyone says?" Coby asked with a disbelieving look on his face. It seemed that he was beginning to understand that the ideas of justice he had been taught wasn't necessarily true. She was glad to see that he was learning.

"He seemed pretty nice if you ask me." She said with a small smile on her face. "Although that glare of his was absolutely terrifying…"

"He's not a bad guy!" Rika yelled out in protest. "Everybody in town is afraid of him but he hasn't done anything wrong!"

She then explained what had happened and how Zoro had ended up tied up in the courtyard as they listened along intently. She told them about Helmeppo's dogs that had been running around the town causing trouble for everyone and how he had saved her from them, once again, reigniting her spark of hatred for the corrupt system that many marines in power seemed to fall under. She couldn't stand the fact that an organisation that claimed to protect people allowed for so many corrupt things to happen: it just wasn't right. She hoped that one day, the marines would be run my marines with a true sense of justice: marines such as Coby or Smoker.

"That's why Zoro's in prison!" Luffy said as he suddenly stood up, the new information filling in the gaps of what he knew. "He hurt that guys dogs to protect you?"

"That makes sense." Coby said after Rika confirmed Luffy's statement, the realisation hitting him. "Zoro's really scary but he only goes after people with a price on their heads and he wouldn't get thrown into prison for that."

"Captain Morgan and his son are the bad ones!" The little girl said as sat back down on the steps. "They put people to death for no reason at all! Everyone's afraid of them!"

 _A truly corrupt system._ Nora sighed, leaning back against the steps. _I wonder if the revolutionaries will be able to solve it…_

It was then that the previously mentioned son decided to make his appearance, once again using his father's name to get what he wanted. She hates it, she really did, The people along the streets were all bowing their heads, her mind showing flashes of the the that would play out on Sabaody, the scenes of those rats known as the Celestial Dragons. This did nothing to ease the dislike she felt towards the current Helmeppo. It was yet another reminder of how cruel the world could be, no matter which world she was.

"Do you want to be jailed like Roronoa Zoro? We're going to hold a public execution for him in three days!" Helmeppo spoke as he paraded past the bowing townspeople, that irritating air of smugness surrounding him. "We'll make an example of him! I can hardly wait!"

"Three days?" Luffy asked, stepping forward, as the townspeople all gasped. "But… you made a promise to him?"

"One that he had no intentions of keeping." Nora muttered, causing Rika and Coby to glance at her, concerned looks coming onto her faces. "If you ask me, this guy's the real monster on this island."

As she continued to watch, she began to think about what it was that happened next in an attempt to stop herself from recklessly interfering in her anger. While she was a _huge_ fan of _One Piece_ , it had been a long time since she'd read or seen the first few arcs. Thinking back as far as she could her eyes suddenly widened and a smirk spread across her lips. Things were about to get good and she had no doubt that what was going to happen would ease her anger. It was time for one of Luffy's famous punches. If only she had a camera with her to capture the moment…

 _Wait!_ Nora thought as she quickly grabbed her bag that had somehow managed to come with her, rummaging through it frantically. _I had my polaroid with me…_

She wasn't quite sure how it had managed to come with her when she'd died but she didn't take the time to question it. Everything about her being here didn't make sense so what was the point in fretting over a camera? If she was going to be living in the world of One Piece, she'd need to learn to accept things like this. With that in mind, she was able to get the instant camera out of her bag just in time. Positioning the camera, she watched in giddy excitement as Luffy stepped forward, a glare on his face. As he began to swing his arm backwards, she placed her finger on the button, readying herself to catch this glorious moment in a picture: a picture she would treasure forever. As Luffy's fist connected with his face, she pressed the button and all but prayed that she'd managed to get a good photo.

As Coby tried to calm down a furious Luffy and stop him from causing anymore trouble, Nora took the film into her hand and waited for it to develop. She would probably never see Luffy once he left the island with Zoro so she truly hoped that at the very least she had gotten a good photo. A little bit of proof that this had all been real. When it finally developed, a grin came onto her face. It was a _perfect_ photo. She had managed to capture the exact moment that Luffy's fist collided with his face, the pain clear as day on Helmeppo's face. She'd be able to look at this whenever she was feeling down and her mood would instantly skyrocket.

"Coby, I've made my decision!" Luffy said as he gritted his teeth. "I'm going to ask Zoro to join my crew!"

"Nice punch Luffy." She said with a laugh as Coby was still holding him back and Helmeppo was whining on the ground. The only responce she got was an almost exasperated look from Coby. "I even got a picture of it."

"I'm Captain Morgan's beloved son!" He yelled out before Luffy could reply to her. "I'm telling daddy on you!"

"Don't run crying to papa." Luffy said as he glared at him. "Face me like a man!"

Instead of facing Luffy like a man, Helmeppo was carried away by his two marin escorts and he shouted back taunts and insults, something that made her roll her eyes. He really was a pathetic little rat. The townspeople around them gasped in horror at the his words. She wasn't quite sure why though… He'd just called Luffy a _booger-face_. What was he, twelve? The gasps from the townspeople only increased when she lifted her fist and stuck up her middle finger to Helmeppo. Was it childish? Yes. Was it worth it? Definitely. The look on his face had been so offended and horrified that Nora was now bent at the waist, giggles pushing through her lips as she tried to catch her breath.

"He's not worth hitting." Said a now calm Luffy as he patted down his straw hat, his mood having done a full flip now that Helmeppo was out of sight.

"You were great big brother!" Rika said with an excited grin. "I feel a lot better now!"

"Then I wished I'd given him a few more whacks for you." Luffy replied with a grin.

"Not to worry." Nora said, her voice still breathless from her laughter with the film in her hands. "I managed to get a picture of it."

"You can write and take photos?!" Luffy said in awe as he turned to her with that same grin on his face. "Just tell me your name and join my crew!"

"Not happening." She replied, once again sticking her tongue out at the pirate.

"Rika!" A voice yelled suddenly, one that she assumed belonged to Rika's mother. "Get over here!"

As the young girl walked over to her mother with a frown, the trio watched them. They had a short conversation which ended with Rika glancing back sadly at Luffy. No doubt the worried mother telling her daughter to come inside and away from any danger. This was confirmed as the small family entered their home. Nora waved along with Luffy while Coby was fretting in the back. Once the door closed, Coby finally snapped under the pressure of the situation and yelled out in terror.

"They won't let you get away with this!" He spoke, pointing an accusing finger towards Luffy. "And Captain Morgan has the whole navy behind him!"

"I don't know about the whole navy." Nora said as she thought of how unlikeable the marine was. "He doesn't seem to be very friendly…"

"Yeah whatever I need to talk to Zoro." Luffy said, brushing off Coby's worries and making his way back towards the marine base. He then suddenly stopped and turned to her. "I'm going to have both of you join my crew!"

"You still don't know my name though." She replied with a role of her eyes as she tucked the photo she had taken into the folds of her journal, another item that had thankfully survived the trip "It's a no."

Even as she said this, deep down, she still wished that it could have been a yes.

The three of them began their walk back towards the naval base, the real trouble waiting just around the corner. Nora would be lying if she said she wasn't excited to see Morgan be defeated yet as they walked, she wasn't really given much of a chance to bask in that excitement. That was because what should have been a rather short walk was dragged into a long walk. In reality, it hadn't taken _that_ long but Luffy's constant nagging of her to join his crew and tell him her name made it feel like an eternity. She was beginning to regret using the 'not knowing my name' excuse for not joining his crew. She really should have been a bit more creative.

When they had finally made it, the constant questioning came to a stop as Luffy had once again jumped the fence and gone to speak with Zoro. Coby and Nora waited on the other side. Well for now at least. No matter how much she told herself to not get involved, she couldn't bring herself to sit still and just watch on.

"Coby." Nora said, some time since they'd seen Luffy run off into the base. "I'm going to go talk to Pirate Hunter Zoro."

"What?!" Coby all but screeched as she began to climb over the wall, attempting to hold her back. "You shouldn't do that!"

"I'm interested in talking to the guy who's probably going to be Luffy's first mate." She said as broke free of his grip and heaved herself up to sit on the wall. "I'll be quick."

Jumping down, she winced slightly at the pain that shot through ankles. She probably should have thought to be more gentle… The fact the she couldn't just effortlessly climb over a wall was even more proof as to to why she couldn't accept Luffy's offer. She just didn't have the strength for the life of a pirate. No matter how tempting it was. The thud of her rather ungraceful landing had alerted Zoro of her presence, making him glance up at her with one of his chill-inducing glares.

"You're with that kid aren't you?" He spoke as she made her way over to him. "If you're trying to convince me join then it won't work."

"Well actually I'm not with him." She replied, now standing directly in front of him, looking at his weakened form in concern. "I only met him today."

"Then why are you here?" He asked, now looking suspicious.

"To see what sort of person Luffy is going to have join his crew." She replied with a smile on her face. "He seems to think you're pretty interesting so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to come and say hello!"

"I'm not becoming a damn pirate!" Zoro yelled out as he glared at her. She almost felt sympathetic for him, having found herself in a similar predicament. "Why does no one get that?!"

Before she had the chance to reply though, they heard a pained scream coming from the roof. If she remembered correctly, that was Morgan cutting one of his men for refusing to kill Rika. She would have assumed it to be Helmeppo complaining about Luffy but it sounded far too deep to be his scream. As she was staring up at the rood, she began to to see a statue rise. To think that government money was being used to fund the something as ridiculous as a giant statue of someone. She was glad that Luffy would soon break it.

"I get the feeling things are going to interesting soon." She said as she watched Luffy stretch his arm and haul himself to the roof, a grin spreading across her face. " _Very_ interesting."

It was then that the statue she had seen rising only moment before was yanked back down by a certain pirate wearing a straw hat. While she couldn't see it break, she definitely knew from the echoing sound that could be heard across the courtyard. Picturing Morgan's reaction to this made her laugh slightly. She almost wished she'd managed to get a photo of that as well.

"What the hell what that?" Zoro asked, now alert as he looked for the source of the noise.

"That was your future captain."

Before Zoro had the chance to yell at her about how he wasn't going to be a pirate, Coby jumped over the wall and made his way over to them. An angry yet determined look on his face. It seemed that he'd finally managed to form his own sense of justice. She watched as he managed to muster all of his courage and stand directly in front of Zoro, making eye contact with the terribly intimidating man.

"That idiot went into the fortress." Zoro said to him was a blank stare, although she could see he was beginning to get irritated at all of the drama that was surrounding him.

"What?! Luffy went into the fortress?!" Coby yelled out at Zoro's statement, looking towards her for confirmation. When she nodded, he began to fret even more. "Why is he so reckless?"

"Yeah I've noticed. Who is he anyway? And who is she?" Zoro replied, sending a glare in her direction. Coby chose to ignore his questions and walked forward, beginning to untie the ropes, making Zoro frown. "Hey! Now _you're_ being reckless. If you catch you freeing me they'll kill you!"

"They imprisoned you unfairly! I can't stand to see the navy act improperly." Coby replied through gritted teeth, still working at the ropes. Those words brought a smile to her face: he truly was a part of the new generation of marines that would hopefully set the world on a better course. "I'm going to become a proper sailor! Just like she's going to write the best adventure book and Luffy's going to become King of the Pirates!"

"Hey now. That's just a silly dream of mine." Nora spoke, letting out an embarrassed laugh, glancing downwards. "But you're right about yourself and Luffy."

"What? King of the Pirates?" Zoro said with a truly shocked look on his face. "Does he know what that means?"

"I was shocked when he first told me too." Coby replied as he let out a nervous laugh. "But he'll succeed or die trying! That's how he is."

"That's definitely true." She said with a nod, thinking of the adventures that Luffy and his crew would soon face.

It was then that the sound of a gun going off made her jump, the sound leaving behind ringing in her ears. Upon seeing Coby fall to the floor she quickly rushed over, worry filling her body. She knew he would be alright -he _had_ to be alright- but she'd just seen him get shot! He was in pain, so it was only natural for a person to worry. From the corner of her eye she say Zoro glaring in the direction that the shot had been fired from.

"I've been shot!" Coby yelled out in pain with tears leaking from his eyes. "Blood! I'm bleeding!"

"Oi." Nora said in an attempt to get his attention, knowing that his movements wouldn't help the pain. "Calm down. You're gonna be fine."

"I'm gonna die!" Was his response, although he did stop wriggling around as much.

"Good. You're alive." Zoro said as he let out a breath of relief. "Now get out of here. They're on their way down."

"But I haven't untied you." Coby managed to get out through his pain as she helped him sit up slightly.

As the pair began to talk, Nora decided that she could at least stop Coby from bleeding so much. She'd need to apply pressure to the wound to do that. Grabbing a scarf from her bag, she got to work. She tied it tightly around his arm, doing her best to stop the bleeding and ignored his pained yelp: it would hurt more now but he'd be thankful for it in the long run. She propped him up into more of a sitting position as he told Zoro about how his execution was planned to happen in three days and that he wasn't going to be freed like he was originally promised.

"He saved my life! I won't ask you to become a pirate but…" Coby began, now supporting his own weight. "Luffy's really strong and so are you! On top of that, she has such a good understanding of this world! If you all team up… You can escape from here! Please help him!"

Before either her or Zoro was given a chance to respond, they were surrounded by marines pointing guns at them, something that made her very nervous. They had suddenly swarmed from all directions with their weapons pointed directly at them. She knew Coby and Zoro would be fine but what about her? She wasn't part of this story. If anything her death would be some good character development for the rest of them! She'd already died once, was she going to die again within a few hours?

"Surround the fortress! If that rascal in the straw hat escapes, you'll all be sorry!" Captain Morgan said, making his appearance in the courtyard, looking absolutely _terrifying_. "You four aren't simple outlaws are you? You're trying to other throw me!"

 _Why am I being included in this?!_

"Roronoa Zoro! Peasants and pirates may tremble at your name but you're no match for the great one!" Morgan spoke as he scowled at them. "You may be a barracuda but I'm a great white shark! Take aim!"

 _She was going to die. In less than twenty-four hours, she was going to die for a second time._

* * *

 **Well there you have it! The very first chapter of this story! I originally was going to have basically the whole Shell Island arc as one chapter but it was getting too long so I decided to split it into two chapters instead.**

 **There are a few things I want to address before going onto the next chapter of this story.**

 **Number one is that everything may seem a bit quick but that's how I wanted it to be. I didn't want to write a story where the OC's whole life was revealed in the first chapter of the book. I personally don't enjoy books that drag on the first few chapters of the book.**

 **The second thing relates to Nora's involvement so far. If it seems as if she is more of an observer at the moment, that's because for now, she is. I have done this purposely. I don't want to rush my character into suddenly being best friends with Luffy and joining without a second thought. She is a normal girl from our world so it wouldn't make sense for her to suddenly be this badass pirate.**

 **And finally, there will be a link to my deviantart account that I have recently made! I'll be posting pictures of Nora soon so look out for that!**

 **That all I have to say for now! Please follow/favourite/review! I'll see you all next time :)**


	2. Bad Decisions

**Second chapter! Woo! Author's note at the end! Please read :)**

* * *

The Misadventures of Nora

Chapter 2

Bad Decisions

* * *

It was just as the marines were about to fire and Nora was accepting her death that she heard the sound of a smashing window. Looking up, she let out a sigh of relief. It was Luffy who was flying through the air towards them. Just as the marines fired, he landed in front of them and blocked the bullets, much to her relief and Coby and Zoro's shock.

"Bullets can't hurt me!" Luffy yelled out with a laugh, flinging the bullets back at the marines and making them scatter.

"What are you?" Zoro yelled out with a shocked look on his face while Coby collapsed to the floor.

"I'm the guy who's gonna be King of the Pirates." Luffy replied, a confident grin on his face as walked over to Zoro. "So which swords are yours? I didn't know so I brought all three."

"They're all mine." He replied as looked up. "I practice santoryu. Three-sword style."

As she watched the two talk, Nora knew she was about to witness another moment she wouldn't want to forget. The moment that Zoro agreed to become and pirate. Once again, she grabbed her polaroid and pointed the camera at them. She was about to capture an image of an almost _sacred_ moment. She was once again internally fangirling.

"Really?" Luffy exclaimed with a grin and his arms in the air. "You'll join my crew?"

"I don't have much of a choice!" Zoro said as she readied her camera. "Now untie me."

And with that, she smiled as she pressed the button and took her second photo of the day.

That smile disappeared rather quickly when she saw the hoard of marines running towards them with their swords drawn. It didn't help that Luffy was still struggling to untie Zoro and that Coby was only just now getting up and coming to his senses.

"Luffy, Zoro!" Coby shouted out when he became aware of the hoard of marines. "Watch out!"

Much to her relief, Luffy was able to finally untie one of Zoro's arms and then pass him his swords. She watched on in awe as he cut the rest of the ropes and then blocked the attacks of the hoard of marines. It was so amazing to watch that she took the chance to take another photo to add to her small collection.

"The first one who moves dies." Zoro said as he glared upwards while everyone watched on in shock and fear. All while blocking them, he explained how he was going to be the world's greatest swordsman and that he wouldn't give it up for anything, something she knew wasn't entirely true.

"The world's greatest swordsman, that's great!" Luffy said with a grin on his face. "And it's fitting to since she's going to be the best author and your new boss is going to be King of the Pirates. Anything else would make me look bad."

"I never said I'd join your crew!" Nora shouted in frustration. "And how did I go from writing an amazing story to being the best author?"

Everyone simply ignored her yell, much to her disappointment and the pair went back to fighting against the marines and it truly was a sight to see. There was nothing as strange as seeing a person stretch. It was one thing to see it in the manga and anime, but in person, it was an entirely different thing. That being said, seeing Luffy's gum-gum whip knock away the marines brought a smirk to her face.

"Wow!" Coby exclaimed with a look of amazement. "He'd incredible!"

"He definitely is." Nora replied with a nod. "He'll be King of the Pirates one day. I just know it."

The marines began to lose their nerve at the sheer amount of power that the pair in front of them had, not that she could blame there. If she were them, she would have been running away long before it had gotten to this point.

"Hear me! All you cowards who were whining just now will shoot yourselves in the head." Captain Morgan ordered with a growl. "I won't tolerate defeatists in my outfit. On my order, fire!"

She watched on with a scowl directed at him. The fact that he had ordered such a ridiculous thing made her angry, she couldn't stand people like him. The fact that the marines were willing to obey made her even angrier. It just showed how much of a horrible person that he was. She wasn't the only one concerned by this as Luffy and Zoro lept forward to attack Morgan.

"Hey! _I'm_ your enemy!" Luffy said he pulled back his arm to punch the marine captain. "Put _me_ to death!"

"Luffy!" Yelled out Coby with an angry look on his face. "Destroy this lousy navy!"

"Yeah kick his ass Luffy!" Nora added with a slight laugh.

Luffy didn't respond to either of them and instead stared intently at the corrupt marine captain. The two then began to fight with Luffy jumping up to avoid a swing of Morgan's axe. A swing that managed to slice a fence like butter.

"Wow! That's sharp!" Exclaimed the boy besides her as he began to nervously sweat.

"That's one way of putting it…" She said with her eyebrows raised slightly. She may have hated him but cutting through that so easily _was_ impressive. The pair of them sat and watched the fight that went back and forth between, occasionally making some impressed remarks or comments. It was obvious to everyone that Luffy was winning.

"You and your navy are ruining Coby's dream." The pirate spoke as he held Morgan to the ground, his fist raised in the air. A yell from Helmeppo as he entered the scene wasn't enough to stop Luffy from punching the captain. Nora would have taken a photo of it if it hadn't been for the fact that her and Coby currently had a gun being pointed at them.

"I said stop it!" He yelled out again. "One false move and Four Eyes and the girl get shot. If you even blink I'll shoot."

"Hey Luffy! Don't let them win because of me!" Coby yelled out as stood firm. "Save her and let them kill me!"

"Coby…" Nora said as she frowned at the younger boy.

"You're a good guy Coby." Luffy said with his signature grin. "Hey idiot-son-of-the-captain! Coby means it!"

Nora really hoped that fate would allow her to saved along with Coby.

"Hey I told you not to move or I'd shoot!" Helmeppo screeched. "Fine! I'll just shoot them then!"

"I'd prefer if you didn't." Nora said as she nervously wrung her hands together. "That does _not_ sound fun."

Within the next few seconds, a variety of things happened. Axe-Hand Morgan took place behind Luffy, getting ready to strike him down, Coby yelled out his warning, Helmeppo encouraged his father to kill Luffy, Luffy punched Helmeppo for the second time that day and finally, Zoro stopped Morgan's attack at Luffy. Letting out a sigh of relief as the corrupt marine fell to the floor, she sat down on the ground in exhaustion.

She hadn't done anything but watch and she was exhausted!

"Any of you still want to capture us?" Zoro asked as shouts of Morgan's defeat were yelled around by the marines.

As the reality of the situation hit them, they all began yelling out in celebration. They had finally managed to escape the control of one of the many corrupt marines, Axe-Hand Morgan. Nora couldn't help but smile at the sight. Luffy always managed to somehow make people happy, even when he didn't mean to.

Zoro then collapsed to the ground and truly she couldn't blame him. He hadn't eaten in nine days and had spent that time tied to a cross and when he was finally free he had gotten into a fight with the marines. He had every right to be exhausted after what had happened. She probably wouldn't have lasted two days.

"Zoro!" Both Luffy and Coby yelled out in concern as they rushed over to him.

"He's just exhausted." She told them, crouching down beside them. "Give him some time and he'll be fine."

"That's a relief." Coby said as let out a breath. "I was worried he'd died."

"You should probably worry about yourself for now." She replied as she glanced at the now blood soaked scarf around his arm. "You _did_ get shot."

"Let's get them somewhere we can treat and feed them." Luffy said with a nod as he hauled a still passed out Zoro up. "We'll go to Rika's."

With a nod, Nora helped Coby stand and they then made their way to the restaurant.

"I'm stuffed!" Zoro said with a loud laugh after he'd finished eating. "Not eating for nine days was worse than I thought!"

They had managed to make it to Rika's mother's restaurant where Coby and Zoro had their injuries treated and they were all served a delicious meal. The four of them were seated at the table enjoying the food.

"The human body can't function without food." Nora said with a nod, taking a bite of the food. "The fact that you're even alive is surprising."

"See!" Luffy said as he quickly munched down the food. "You'd never have survived a whole month."

"Funny." Zoro said as he watched in disgust and amazement of how much Luffy was eating. "You seem hungrier than me."

"It's kind of you to feed me along with the heroes ma'am." Coby said as he sheepishly smiled towards Rika's mother.

"It's the least I can do!" The mother replied with a smile in their direction. "You four saved the town."

"Actually it was those three." Nora said as she gestured towards them. "I just watched."

"Wow you're great!" Rika said as she stared up at Luffy in awe.

She wasn't able to tell if it was from amazement at Luffy saving the town or Luffy's eating rate.

"Yeah I'm kinda great!" Luffy said with his mouth full of food. "And I'm going to get even greater."

"So…" Zoro spoke in a serious tone, finally getting down to business. "What's next?"

"We're headed for the Grand Line!" Luffy yelled out with an even bigger grin than usual.

"Huh?! That's suicide!" Coby yelled out as all but leapt across the table. "There's only three of you! If you go there, you'll just be sailing to your own deaths!"

"Why am I being included in this?" Nora asked as she looked around the table with a sigh.

"The most bloodthirsty pirates in the world are there!" Coby continued to yell at Luffy.

"I guess if we're after the One Piece…" Zoro began with a nod. "...the Grand Line is where we'll have to go."

"Zoro!" Coby yelled out in shock at the swordsman's statement. "You agree with him?!"

"What's it to you?" Zoro asked, ignoring the younger boys shouts. "You're not coming with us."

Nora smiled slightly as she watched Coby try to explain to them how he was worried about them. He truly did care about Luffy and Zoro and that made her happy. As he asked if they were friends, she knew the bond between those three would always be there, even when they went their separate ways. Luffy confirmed this when he spoke.

"We're going our separate ways but we'll always be friends!"

"You're the first real friend I've ever had. No one else ever stuck up for me. Even I wouldn't stick up for me." Coby said with his fists clenched and a determined look on his face. "But the three of you… You taught me to fight for what I believe in."

"Once again I really did not do anything." Nora said with another sigh.

The conversation the took a turn to Coby's dream of becoming a part of the marines. Zoro reminded him that if they found out about his time spent on Alvida's ship as a cabin boy, he wouldn't be able to enlist. She knew however that this wouldn't matter. He would soon go onto to joining the marines and making his way up. Before the conversation could go any further, the door opened and a board of marines stood there.

"Excuse me…" The leader of the group said from the doorway. "You gentlemen, and ladies, are pirates. Correct?"

"That's right!" Luffy said as he stood up, cutting Nora off before she was able to inform the marines that she want a pirate. "I even have two crew members now which makes me a genuine pirate captain."

"How many times do I have to say that I'm not joining your crew!" She said as she sent a glare at him.

This was not good. She knew that the marines on this island had no true intentions towards them but that didn't mean she wanted to be labeled a pirate! She knew she wasn't suited to that lifestyle. She'd never done any sort of self defence and she sure as hell didn't know how to use swords. Perhaps the only thing she had running for her was the flexibility she had gained through the years spent as a gymnast. That wouldn't help her as a pirate! Especially when it had been three years since she'd properly done any gymnastics!

"Um… You saved our base and this town and we are truly grateful to you. However we're still naval marines…" He spoke, causing everyone to look at him. "...And we can't shelter pirates. I'm sorry but I have to ask you to leave. But to show our gratitude we won't report you to the navy."

Upon hearing his words, the townspeople outside began to yell and shout. They didn't seem to be to happy about the marines kicking their saviours off of the island.

"I guess we'll be going then." Luffy said, standing from the table. "Ma'am, thanks for the meal."

"Luffy…" Coby said, looking down in sadness. "You're leaving already?"

Nora, stayed sitting at the table, quietly finishing off her food as she watched the scene play out before her. It was finally time for her to part ways with them and figure out what she was going to do. Perhaps she would live a peaceful life on this island. She'd enjoy it here and with Morgan gone she'd be safe. Perhaps she'd even manage to get a job in this restaurant. She also wouldn't be lonely if she stayed here. Coby would be here for a while and perhaps she could befriend Helmeppo eventually.

"Aren't you two going with them?" The marine asked when he noticed that neither her or Coby had followed the other two.

"I'm… I'm not one of them!" Coby said as he gritted his teeth. From the corner of her eye, she caught Luffy looking back with a grin.

"Neither am I." Nora said with a shake of head, glancing sadly towards the door. She knew it was for the best, but she couldn't help but want to go.

"Excuse me, pirates?" The marine asked, halting Luffy and Zoro. "Is that true?"

"Let me explain." Luffy said as he turned back around to face the marine and Coby. "I know all about his past."

Nora watched Luffy as he spoke, beginning explain to the marine about Coby's past. He spoke about the secret island and how mean Alvida was. Just as he was about to tell everyone about how Coby had been a cabin boy on the crew for two years, Coby finally snapped and punched Luffy in an attempt to shut him up. Everyone watched in shock as he did it while Luffy and Zoro smiled and Nora shook her head. He really did have a weird way of going about things. With that, Luffy began throwing punches at the boy. Nora couldn't help but feel sorry for Coby, even if it was for his own good.

"Hey, hey." Zoro said as he pulled his new captain back, obviously taking pity on the poor boy. "That's enough."

"It's clear that you're not friends!" The marine shouted as he pointed at the pair. "Please leave this town! Now!"

"One more thing." Luffy said as he glanced over at her. "She was lying. She is a part of my crew."

"You!" The marine said turning to her now before she had the chance to speak. "Get up and leave now."

"W-Wait! I'm not a pir-" She began but was cut off when an arm stretched over to her and pulled her through the door. Nora then let out a yell of frustration that probably echoed across the whole town. "Damn it Luffy!"

As Luffy dragged her away and Zoro taunted some of the marines, she heard a shout from inside the restaurant. Coby was finally taking the first step to making his dream a reality. He was joining the marines. She listened to as much as his shouts as she could before she had been dragged far away enough that she could no longer hear. Deciding to stop struggling, she allowed for Luffy to drag her until they reached the docks.

"That was some pretty bad acting." Zoro said as he laughed slightly. "I wouldn't be surprised if they saw through it."

"Personally I think they smile would have given it away." Said a Nora as she let out a sigh.

"It's all up to Coby now." Luffy said as he took a step over to the small rowboat she had seen docked earlier that day. "He'll get in somehow."

"You know you can let me go now." She cut in with a sigh. "I have no option but to come with you. They think I'm a pirate!"

"You are a pirate." Luffy said simply with a nod as he released her. "And you're part of my crew."

"You still don't know my name." She said as she shook her head, her ability to say no weakening.

"Well tell me." He replied. "If you come with us you'll be able to write that story you said you wanted to!"

As she stared at the pain in front of her, the boat and the ocean, she began to question whether it would be okay to just go to one more island with them… She'd get the chance to meet Nami and there wasn't a marine base on the next island to kick her off…. She had only spent a day with the pair so a bit longer wouldn't hurt.

"I'll come to the next island with you but I'm still not joining your crew." She said, finally accepting that she didn't have another choice. "But I'm still not telling you my name."

With that, a grin came onto Luffy's face as he walked over to the boat and prepared to leave, making her frown slightly. She had just told him she wasn't joining his crew. Did he just ignore that and only listen to the going to the next island with them part? That did sound like something he'd do. She'd just have to deal with it on the next island.

"Well it's a good time to be leaving." Zoro spoke from besides her. "Everybody hates us. That's the way pirates should leave a town."

"Lu-Lu-Luffy!" They heard a voice struggle to yell out. Looking over, they saw an out of breath Coby. "Thank you very much cap'n! I'll never forget all you did for me."

"This is a new one." Zoro spoke as he smirked at Coby while Luffy laughed. "A pirate being saluted by the navy!"

"I don't think you'll ever be seeing this again." She replied in agreement as she smiled at Coby. "Bye Coby!"

"We'll meet again Coby!" Luffy yelled out as he waved.

Suddenly, the number of marines saluting them increased. It was no longer just Coby. The other marines on the island had joined behind him, much to his shock. Nora continued to wave as she got onto the small boat, doing her best not to fall. Once the trio was on the boat, they began to sail away, leaving behind the island that their very first adventure had been on. Knowing that the next time she wouldn't be on the boat as they left, she quickly snapped a photo of the marines and her temporary compainions.

"Now we're on our way!" Luffy yelled out in celebration with his fists in the air. "To the Grand Line!"

Nora really hoped she didn't regret this.

* * *

"This was the worst decision of my life!" Nora wailed as she clutched her stomach and leant overboard, a green tint to her face. "I should have just stayed on that island!"

"I've never seen someone get this seasick before." Zoro said as he laughed at her.

Yes that's right, she was seasick. In her previous life, she'd never really had any reasons to go on boats and on the rare occasions that she had, they had been so big that she couldn't notice the rocking. On this small rowboat however, she felt the rocking and it was horrible. She'd lost count of how many times she'd had to vomit overboard in the last ten minutes. She had vomited all the food out out of her stomach and this wasn't even the worst of their problems. She had only been on the ship for a day and she was regretting it. Her only relief had been when night had fallen and she was able to pass out and forget about the queasiness for a while.

"I'm starving!" Luffy wailed from the over end of the boat, clutching his stomach.

Yes, they had also managed to forget food. Actually it wasn't just food, it was supplies in general. All they had was a boat and each other. Well Nora did have her bag which had a water bottle in it but after she'd been puking, she doubted the others would want any. One good thing that she was able to find in being seasick was the fact that the lack of food wasn't affecting her.

Truthfully though, she would have preferred to be hungry.

"Don't you think it's strange that you can't navigate?" Zoro asked Luffy.

"No, drifting has worked pretty well for me."

Oh and that was another thing, none of them could navigate. If it hadn't been for the whole puking her guts up, she would have remembered these things earlier but unfortunately that was not the case. So here they were, in the middle of the ocean, with no food and no navigation.

"What about you?" Luffy asked Zoro. "You're supposed to be the holy terror of the seas."

"I don't recall ever calling myself that. I followed a pirate I was after out to sea but I couldn't find my way back to village" He replied with a slight frown. "So I made the best of things. I went after pirates that were in the area. I had to earn money somehow."

"So you got lost?" Luffy asked, but to Nora it sounded more like a statement.

"You don't have to put it like that!" Zoro yelled, being too stubborn to admit that was the truth. He then turned to her. "What about you? How did you end up on that island without realising you'd get seasick on this boat?"

 _Uh oh. How am I going to answer this?!_

"...It was a much bigger boat." She replied after a few moments of silence. "I slept through most of the trip."

"Why'd you go to sea in the first place?" Luffy asked, tilting his head slightly.

"I didn't really plan to…" Nora muttered a truthful response as her stomach lurched. "It just kinda happened."

"Anyway, what kind of pirate doesn't know how to navigate a ship? It's ridiculous." She heard Zoro say, although she couldn't see him as she'd lied down face first. "At this rate we'll never make it to the Grand Line. "We've got to recruit a navigator as soon as possible."

Ah, thats right. They'd be running into Nami soon. Also Buggy, something she couldn't help but be excited about. Sure he was kinda lame and not exactly a good guy but he had been on Gol D. Roger's crew! He had been on the _Pirate King's_ crew! Not she could mention that to the others.

"And we need a cook, and a musician, and-" Luffy began to list off all the positions he wanted to fill before Zoro cut him off.

"Those can wait!" Zoro yelled before she heard the sound of the two flopping down onto the deck. In unison they spoke. "I'm starving."

"Hey... It's a bird." She heard Zoro say, making bolt up and look at the sky.

"It looks pretty big…" Luffy said as he sat up in excitement. "Let's eat it!"

"Huh, how?" Zoro questioned as Luffy stood up and stretched slightly.

"You're not going to be able to cook it on the deck." She said with a shake of her head, but it was too late. He'd already made up his mind.

"Leave it to me!" He said with his usual grin in place. "I'll catch it!"

With that, he rocketed off into the sky, leaving her and Zoro to watch in anticipation. Well the anticipation was more so Zoro. She already knew what was about to happen. If she hadn't felt like she wasn't going to puke again, she would have laughed when she saw the bird bite onto Luffy's head and begin to fly away.

"You idiot!" Zoro yelled, quickly jumping into action and beginning to row the boat, much to fast for her liking. "What are you doing? Darn you!"

"Oh god." Nora said as she pulled her hair back, leaning over the edge. "I'm gonna puke again."

"How did I end up on a crew with a bunch of idiots!" Zoro yelled in frustration as he frantically rowed after Luffy and the bird.

Within a few minutes of Zoro's frantic rowing they came across the three shipwrecked pirates from Buggy's crew. They were yelling and waving their arms in an attempt to get them to slow down but Zoro's relentless rowing didn't stop.

"I can't stop, just grab on and climb in!"

The three pirates quickly latched onto their ship, rocking it even more than it already was. Her stomach lurched once again but she did her best to keep it down. They were almost at the next island. She was in no condition to listen to what they were saying so she just sat there and clutched her stomach until the three pulled out swords, preparing to attack them.

"Hey! Stop the ship." The ringleader said. "We're pirates of Buggy the Clown."

"Stop shaking the boat!" She wailed out as they took a step closer to her and Zoro. "I _will_ puke on you."

This didn't stop them and they chose to continue making there way over. Just as the ringleader was about to swing his sword, she snapped. Being on the boat was already enough, add Zoro's rowing and the pirates rocking the boat, and well, it was just worse. So, she did the first thing that came to her mind, which happened to be punching him. She landed a solid hit on his face, sending him falling onto his back and nearly over the edge of the ship.

"Why the hell did that hurt so much." Nora hissed out as she cradled her already bruised hand. " _Why_ did I do that? The movies always make it seem to easy!"

Zoro quickly jumped into aid the girl who was not only seasick, but now in pain as well. She wasn't paying much attention to him, but she was able to gather that he had no problem taking care of the other two pirates. After that, they seemed to realise they had picked a fight they couldn't win. The three Buggy pirates were now kindly rowing the boat for them, at a much slower pace than before as her and Zoro watched the,

"I'm gonna take a nap." Nora said, turning to Zoro, not being able to take the queasy feeling anymore. "Wake me up when we reach an island. I can't stay awake on this ship any longer."

Not waiting any longer, she closed her eyes and let sleep take over. She already knew what they were about to talk about so she didn't really have any reason to listen in. She knew it would only be a short nap but it would be one hundred times better than puking again.

* * *

"Oi. Wake up."

"Five more minutes." Nora groaned, reaching for a blanket to pull over her head, only, for some reason, she couldn't find find one. Sitting up frantically, she looked around to see she was still on a boat in the ocean, meaning it hadn't all been a dream.

"We're about to dock." Zoro said, grabbing some seawater in his palms and dropping it on her in an attempt the snap her out of her vacant and sleepy stare at the ocean.

"What the hell was that for?" She screeched as she shook her head and attempted to wipe the water from her face. "It got in my _mouth_!"

"It's your fault for not getting up." He replied, laughing at her struggle. "And like I said, we're almost docked."

Looking to where the swordsman was pointing, she could tell see that he was right. Just slightly off into the distance was an island and a dock. From what she could see from this far back, it was Orange Town, the town that they needed to dock at if they wanted to find Luffy and meet Nami. She was glad that here presence hadn't changed anything.

Within a few minutes, they finally reached the island and docked into the vacant town, something Nora was _very_ happy about. She had jumped from the ship the second she had gotten the chance, all but kissing the floor as she let out sighs of relief. She was finally free from the suffering of seasickness. She'd _never_ get on a damn boat again!

"This is it, Master Zoro." One of the Buggy's pirates said a few minutes later when they had properly docked the boat and tied it down.

"It looks like a ghost town." Zoro said as as he looked around the empty streets, his hand resting on his swords. "Where is everyone?"

"Well you see sir…" One of them began to explain while the others talked in the background, discussing what to do about coming back empty handed. "We've taken over the town."

"C'mon take me to your captain." Zoro replied with a shake of his head. "Maybe he knows where Luffy is."

It was then that they heard an explosion and saw a whole street of buildings get completely obliterated. She had to admit, those Buggy Balls were actually quite destructive.

"I get the feeling that Luffy had something to do with that, Nora said with a laugh. "Shall we go see how you're captains doing?"

Rather than replying, Zoro nodded and took off running with Nora following close behind. She struggled to keep up with the swordsman as they weaved from the destroyed streets and in the direction of where the cannon ball had come from. After only just finally solace on the land, she was already beginning to feel sick again. Running so soon and on an empty and queasy stomach really wasn't a good idea but then again, she didn't want to miss out on everything that was about to happen. This would be her last time travelling with them after all.

When they finally reached the building where the cannon had been fired, Zoro turned to her and gestured for her to be quiet as he began to make his way up the side of the building with ease. She followed behind but at a much slower and cautious pace. She wasn't some sort superhuman so she couldn't risk falling off the edge. She'd probably end up dying at that really wasn't something she wanted to experience again.

Just as she carefully peeked her head over the edge, she saw Zoro save Nami, blocking the pirates that had just been about to attack her. Luffy let out a happy yell of his crewmates name upon seeing him while Nami looked back in confusion.

"You hurt?" Zoro asked, turning back to look at his captain.

"No. I'm okay!" Luffy said as he let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you found me. Now get me out of here."

"Always goofing around…" He replied with a shake of his head, resting one of his swords on his shoulder. "First you fly off with a bird, and now you're playing in some cage."

"You have to admit that the whole bird incident was pretty funny." Nora said as she pulled herself over the wall while the Buggy Pirates and Nami murmured about hearing the name Zoro. "I should've taken a photo…"

Buggy, who had been observing the situation from afar, made his way over to Zoro, glancing him up and down, tension filling the air, making her wish that she hadn't climbed up onto the roof. She probably would have been safer on the ground. Then again it was quite amusing to see Buggy acting all tough. She watched as the scene played out with Buggy announcing that he would enjoy Zoro as he grabbed out his knives. She watched intently as his crew cheered him on and Zoro got ready to fight.

She watched as he rushed forward, swords drawn, and cut through Buggy's body with ease. While Luffy and Nami let out exclamations of shock and the Buggy Pirates began to laugh, Nora shook her head with a sigh. Deep down, she really wished she was strong enough to prevent Zoro from getting stabbed but she knew that he'd be fine. Her on the other hand, if she _were_ to try and protect him, she'd be dead in seconds.

"That was almost disappointing." Zoro said as he sheathed his swords, only looking back when he noticed the laughter.

"Hey Zoro and you!" Luffy said turning to glance in her direction. "Get me out of here."

How am I supposed to do that?" She asked with a shake of her head. "I don't have the key!"

"We can't open this without a key." Zoro said as he leant against the cage. "These bars are to thick for me to cut through."

Hearing him say that was a reminder of Nora about how much they'd grow. Once they entered the Grand Line and reached Alabasta, Zoro _would_ be able to cut through iron and steel. Cutting through this would one day become like cutting through butter. He'd soon become even stronger than he his now.

"Very funny." Zoro said as he glanced back at the pirates a confused look on his face at their laughter. "Now hand over the keys to this cage before I get cranky."

It was then that he collapsed in pain, one of Buggy's knives sticking through his side, making Nora wince at the thought of how much that it would have hurt. She really hoped that they'd get off this roof soon so that they could treat Zoro… Only a day earlier he had eaten for the first time in nine days and now this! As she grit her teeth, Luffy and Nami stared on in confusion, letting out exclamations of shock all while the other pirates continued to laugh. The knife was then pulled from his side by Buggy's floating hand.

Zoro drew one of his swords, staring on in shock as Buggy's body began to assemble back together. She assumed that she had a similar expression on her own face as she watched. Just like seeing Luffy's devil fruit in person was truly strange, Buggy's left her with her mouth slightly ajar. Even though she'd known it was coming, it was still weird to see someone's body parts attach and reattach!

"That's the devil that I ate!" Yelled out the now complete Buggy. "You can slice and dice me but you can't kill me! I'm a chop-chop man!"

"His body is back together again!" Nami yelled out in terror. "I thought the stories about devil fruits were just myths!"

"Chop-chop man?" Luffy asked with widened eyes. "That guy's a freak!"

"That's certainly something you don't see everyday." She said as she kept her gaze on Buggy the Clown.

"Roronoa Zoro! You never had a chance!" Buggy said as he smirked and stood before Zoro who was still on the ground. "Looks like I missed your vitals. But you still took a serious wound!"

His crew began to shout out for their captain to kill Zoro and finish him off. All Nora could do was watch on in concern from the edge of the roof. She really wasn't suited for this lifestyle…

"Stabbing someone in the back… That's fighting dirty!" Luffy yelled out in fury from the cage. "You got that, big nose?"

Despite the current situation that they were in, she couldn't help but let out a little laugh at not only Luffy's insult but the reaction of Buggy and his crew. They all jumped back in shock, simultaneously letting out a gasp while Buggy's face turned red in rage.

"You fool!" Nami said as she turned towards Luffy. "That's one thing you never-"

"You dare call me big nose?" Yelled a furious Buggy, cutting Nami off as his disconnected hand flew towards Luffy with a knife in it.

"Luffy!" Zoro yelled out in shock as he clutched his side.

"I swear…" Luffy said, looking up with the knife clenched between his teeth, splitting in half. "I'm gonna clobber you!"

"Clobber me?" Buggy replied as he began to laugh, his crew soon joining in. "Don't make me laugh! You four are about to die!"

"I keep getting included in these things…" Nora muttered with a shake of her head as she listened to Buggy and his crew laugh.

"No way! I'm not going to die!" Luffy said with a grin, causing the pirates to break into another round of laughter. "Zoro run!"

"What! I'm not going anywhere! We're trying to save you." Zoro shouted at him, looking up in shock. "They'll kill you the moment we go!"

It was then that the two made eye contact and Luffy smirked, causing Zoro to realise what he was getting at. Letting a puff of air, a smirk came onto his own face. He quickly glanced at Nora to see if she understood and upon her nod, he went to action. From her spot on the roof, she could see Nami fretting about Zoro leaving them behind. Zoro ran, narrowly avoiding the knives as she quickly moved from her spot, going to stand near the cannon. She may not be able to offer much help but she could at least watch his back, it would be better than nothing… She hoped.

Luckily, mainly for her, Zoro was able to flip the cannon before any of the Buggy Pirates ran in their direction. When they realised what it was that they were planning, they all began to scatter, not wanting to get hit by the buggy ball that would shortly be sent their way. Luffy let out an excited scream while Buggy let out a terrified one.

"Light this thing!" Zoro yelled, turning to Nami who was closest to the fuse. "Hurry!"

Nora watched with a slight grin on her face at the sight of the explosion. She was no pyromaniac but it was certainly satisfying to see Buggy and his men get sent flying. There were screams and groans of pain coming from his crew and the wood and metal from the buildings crashed down and landed onto them. This was only a taste of Buggy's defeat she thought as she tried to recall what it was that happened next.

"Actually…" She heard Luffy say as she turned away from the destruction. "She's out new navigator!"

"What are you talking about? Are you crazy?" Nami bellowed in anger at her future captain. "And shouldn't you be trying to get out of the cage?"

"Oh yeah. Maybe you're right." Luffy said before turning and looking at her. "Can you pick locks?"

"Why would I know how to pick a lock." Nora replied with a flat stare towards him.

"It's no problem." Zoro said as blood ran from his mouth, his previous actions having taken a toll on his new wound. "You just stay in the cage."

As Zoro began to try lifting the cage, his teeth clenched from the exertion, they heard a shout coming from the dust cloud that had gathered. Buggy had managed to get back up already. As Luffy fretted about Zoro pushing himself too hard and said swordsman beginning to finally get the cage off of the ground, Nami watched on in shock, not moving as Zoro began to carry Luffy off of the roof.

"We should probably get going." Nora said, lightly tapping the other girl on the shoulder. "The dust is almost cleared."

"Yeah… Just let me grab something." Nami said, quickly running over, to grab what Nora was ninety percent sure was the key to Luffy's cage. "Let's go."

And with that, they jumped off the edge of the building and headed to meet up with Luffy and Zoro. There truly never was a dull day with the Luffy and his slowly increasing crew. She was going to be sad to see them go.

* * *

 **Well there we have it! The second chapter is over and done with! How are you all enjoying it so far? Personally I'm having so much fun writing it so I hope you're having just as much fun reading it.**

 **I'd like to thank you to everyone that has left a review, followed or favourite this story! It's only been up for a day and it already had 14 follows. I honestly wasn't even expecting anyone to read it so to have that many follows is amazing!**

 **Like I said last chapter, Nora is still very much an observer. She won't be thrown into this world and suddenly be able to fight pirates. The fact is, at this stage in the story, she's weak and she isn't willing to risk her life when she knows they'll be fine. Don't worry though, I've got some things planned for her soon ;)**

 **Also another thing about Nora is that there may be some things she does that will seem a bit strange at the moment. Particularly the polaroids. I have actually got a bit of a plan for this so bear with it for now guys! Her character is going to be developed and have more depth soon. I don't want to give away to much in the first few chapters!**

 **Just so you know, updates won't usually be this quick. I already had a lot of this chapter written so that was why it hadn't taken to long. I'll usually try to update at least once a week so follow this story so you can get an email!**

 **Once again, thank you to everyone who has read this and don't forget to review/follow/favourite!**


	3. Not Again!

**Long chapter ahead (as in 9,300 words) so grab your popcorn kids!**

* * *

The Misadventures of Nora

Chapter 3

Not Again!

* * *

"Shouldn't you have run off with your crew?" Nami asked as the two girls walked through the streets, trying to find said pirates.

"I'm not on their crew." Nora replied as she walked besides her. "I just hitched a ride to this island."

"Wait, you're not a pirate?" Nami asked, her posture suddenly becoming less tense and guarded.

"Nope." She replied with a shake of her head. "I just keep getting dragged into Luffy's messes."

They continued to walk through the empty streets in silence, looking for any trace of the two pirates. When reading and watching _One Piece_ , she hadn't realised just how big this town was. There were streets everywhere and the emptiness made them hard to tell the difference. For all she knew, she could have been walking in circles. Eventually, they were able to find a trail of blood, most likely belonging to Zoro. Following it, they were able to locate Luffy and Zoro and a dog. It was quite an interesting sight as well, so interesting that she quickly snapped a pictures before tucking the film away. Both Luffy and Zoro were laying flat on their backs, only Luffy was covered in dog saliva while his first mate was covered in blood. And then there was the dog, sitting there and not moving.

She was pretty sure that it was the dog that they had, for some reason, had a human voice.

"Look at you two. Not to criticize you but…" Nami said as she stared down at their sorry states and let out a sigh. "Is the middle of the street really the best hiding place you could come up with?"

"Hey! It's our writer and navigator!" Luffy and Zoro said in unison, lifting their heads up slightly.

"I never agreed to that!" Both Nami and Nora yelled out in response to the pair on the ground.

"I just wanted to thank you for saving me." Nami said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the key, throwing it in front of the cage.

"Thank us? Hey!" Luffy said as he stared at the key in front of him with a grin. "The key! You stole the key to the cage!"

As the trio continued to talk, Nora went over to the dog, crouching beside it as she cautiously reached out to pat it. She didn't want the dog to bite off her hand or anything if it decided it didn't like her. She wasn't a logia devil fruit user. It was just as she had finally got up the nerve to pat the dog when he had leant forward and swallowed the key.

 _Oh_. She had forgotten that was going to happen.

While Luffy, Zoro and Nami let out sounds varying from shock to anger, she burst into a fit of laughter. How had she managed to forget this would happen? The looks on their faces were absolutely _hilarious_.

"Cough it up! That's not food! Gimme that key." Luffy yelled, reaching across as strangling the dog in an attempt to make it spit the key up. He then turned towards her. "And stop laughing at me! I'm gonna be stuck in this cage forever!"

"Dern whippersnappers!" A man, who she remembered to be the mayor, shouted as he stepped towards them. "Don't you pick on poor ol' Chou-Chou!"

"That's such a cute name…" Nora said, reaching over to pull the dog from Luffy's grip as Zoro asked the man who he was.

Once introducing himself, the mayor, Boodle, had noticed Zoro's injuries and taken him somewhere that he would be able to rest and recover. Nami had followed while Nora had stayed to take care of Luffy who was _still_ in a cage, much to the pirates annoyance. He sat there, sending glares to the dog with a pout on his face. She could tell that he wanted to get out of that cage as soon as possible. Suddenly, he had opened his mouth to speak.

"Tell me your name."

"Why?" She replied as she continued to stroke the dog. "I told you I'm not joining your crew."

"Just tell me your name." He replied with a pout as he slumped against the cage. " _Please_!"

As Nora thought about it, she there wasn't really any point for her to say no now. Once Luffy, Zoro and Nami defeated the Buggy Pirates, they would be leaving and she would stay on the island that had been returned to it's peaceful state. There'd be no harm done in telling him her name. Besides, she was beginning to get sick of being referred to as her and she. With Nami around, things would end up getting confusing.

"...Fine." She finally replied letting out a sigh. "It's Nora."

"Nora…" Luffy said as he grinned at her. "So you're joining my crew now?"

"No!" She shouted out. "When did I ever say that?"

Suddenly, they heard the sound of shoes tapping on the cobblestone road. Looking up, she saw Nami and the mayor making there way towards them. Noticing that Zoro hadn't come back with them Luffy asked where he had gone to which the mayor explained that he wasn't to far away sleeping off his injuries.

"This dog's name is Chou-Chou?" Luffy asked the mayor as he pointed to the dog. When the mayor confirmed this he continued. "Why's he the only one left in town?"

"He's guarding the shop!" The mayor explained once he'd placed some food in a bowl for the dog. "I just came to feed him."

"Oh. So he's a guard dog!" Nami said with raised eyebrows. "For a pet store…"

It was then that the mayor began to explain Chou-Chou's story, something she remembered had made her very sad the first time she read it and even sadder when she had seen it in the anime. She hoped she didn't cry listening to it in person. He told them about the dog's previous owner and how they had opened the store together. Nora couldn't help but frown when the mayor mentioned that he had been waiting for his owner for three months. She never had been good at dealing with sad animal stories. _Marly & Me_ had been the worst…

Going over to sit near the dog, she softly stroked his fur as he continued to eat up the food that was left in his bowl. When the others left the island and she felt lonely or sad, perhaps she'd be able to spend some time with Chou-Chou. They could keep each other company and she would enjoy looking after him. He was a cute little dog.

"Chou-Chou's a smart dog." He said when commented on the sad situation. "I think he knows his master is dead."

She zoned out of the conversation after this, already being aware that this store was his treasure. Just like her journals, Zoro's swords, Nami's hometown and Luffy's straw hat, this shop was Chou-Chou's treasure. She stroked him sadly as she thought about what she knew would soon happen. It wouldn't be long before Mohji and Richie made their appearance and destroyed the shop. Once again, she wished she could do something but she was weak. She couldn't stop a giant lion…

It was then that she heard the loud roar of said lion.

"That did not sound good." Nora said, wincing at the piercing sound.

"What's that horrible roar?" Nami yelled out with a gasp of shock as she whipped her head in the direction that it had come from.

"I-It must be Mohji the lion tamer!" The mayor yelled out in terror.

When they heard another roar, this time closer, the two took off running. Quickly glancing at Luffy and Chou-Chou, she remembered that they would be somewhat okay. With that in mind, she sprinted off after the other two, away from the giant lion that was steadily approaching.

"Is Luffy provoking that guy?" Nami asked as she trembled and they peeked their heads around the corner.

"If he is, he wouldn't be doing it purposely." Nora replied as she stared at the massive lion with wide eyes.

They continued to watch from the safety behind the building. She was quite unnerved as the whole scene played out but she did let a quiet snicker out when Chou-Chou bit the lion tamer after he'd just claimed to able to tame him. When Luffy refused to say where the Zoro was, Mohji had Richie jump forward and rip the cage apart, something she knew Luffy would be happy to finally be freed from.

"The cage!" Nami cried out.

"That boys a goner!" The mayor said, agreeing with Nami.

"He finally managed to get out of the cage. That's good." Nora said as she let out a sigh of relief.

Nami and Mayor Boodle looked at her like she'd gone insane and the expressions didn't get any better when she snickered as they saw Luffy get sent flying through the air and into a building. She may have known that it wouldn't hurt him but they didn't know that. Her laughing halted when she saw the lion go to stand in front of the pet store however. All traces of amusement were gone as she watched the poor dog growl at the much larger creature.

"We should go to Luffy." Nora said, being unable to watch the scene that would soon playout.

With a nod, they began to sneak away from Mohji and his lion before breaking out into a full run and heading in the direction that Luffy had crashed to. When they saw him, alive and well, Nami and the mayor let out yells of shock, unable to believe that he had managed to survive the impact of what he had just gone through.

"Why did you all come to this town anyway?" The mayor asked as he turned to Luffy, a still perturbed look on his face. "Why take on pirates?"

"I just figured out why I'm here." Luffy replied with a slight nod. "I'm after the map of the Grand Line and a navigator!"

Nami once again denied his statement, while the mayor looked shocked. Nora on the other hand just shook her head. It was then that she could hear the barking of Chou-Chou in the distance, causing her to flinch slightly. The poor dog…

"I'm going to look for Zoro." Luffy said as he began to walk away. "I'd better find him before that weird costume guy does."

"I'll come with you." She said as she began to follow while the mayor tried to stop them.

The pair walked in silence through the deserted streets. After she had told him her name, he hadn't been bugging her about joining his crew, something she was very glad about. Not only because it was slightly annoying but because she knew that eventually she'd give in and say yes. That was something she just couldn't do. She just needed to find a nice peaceful island to stay on and then perhaps she could try and figure out how she had gotten into this world later. Going into the Grand Line would be suicide for her and she _had_ already died once.

It was as they were about to walk around the corner of a street that she smelt it. The pungent smell burned her throat and filled her lungs. It was _horrible_. She then heard the barks of Chou-Chou and she knew Luffy had noticed it to. They walked around the corner and she noticed his eyes wide, taking in the scene before them. The poor dog was sitting in front of the shop, crying out as he watched it burn to the ground. The heat from the fire was radiating towards them, making her eyes water. Nora clenched her fists at the sight of this. Her and Luffy stood there, a frown on her face and a blank look on his. They watched the building burn and the dog howl.

She truly hated the Buggy Pirates in that moment.

"Nora." Luffy said, stepping forwards and quickly glancing back at her. "Stay here with the dog. I'll be back."

Nora nodded in responce and watched as he walked away, no doubt heading in the direction of Mohji the lion tamer. Once he had disappeared from her sights, she stepped forward, ignoring the stinging of her eyes and sat down besides the dog. In that moment, she knew that the poor dog didn't need any physical comfort, he truly didn't even need her there. That wouldn't stop her though. The least she could do was sit down next to him and watch it burn. She had nothing else to offer.

She couldn't go and beat the Buggy Pirates up, she couldn't cut them down and she couldn't steal from them. She was weak and she hated it. She simply could not do a thing but sit and watch as the building, Chou-Chou's treasure, burned to the ground.

By the time Nami and the mayor had made their way over, the building was burned to the ground. All that remained was a pile of rubble and smoke. Nora was still on the ground, gritting her teeth as she glared at the remains of the building. Nami began to rant about pirates and how they were horrible and despite what she knew, deep down Nora agreed with her. While there were good pirates like Luffy, they were outnumbered by the ones like Buggy and Blackbeard…

Just thinking his name made chills run down her spine.

"You're still alive?" Nami asked suddenly turning when Luffy made his appearance. "I was hoping that lion would eat you."

"Hey. what the?" The mayor suddenly question before jumping into hold back Nami, just before she hauled herself at Luffy. He struggled to hold back the cursing navigator as she yelled at Luffy. "Now, simmer down!"

"You don't stand a chance against me." Luffy said to her, sticking his tongue out and making Nora think of Shanks.

As the mayor continued to hold back the yelling and cursing girl, Luffy made his way over the Chou-Chou and Nora, who was still sitting next to the dog. As she noticed what was in his hand, she knew that this was a moment she wanted to remember, a silver lining in this horrible event. She took out her polaroid and watched as Luffy placed the last remaining item from the store, a bag of dog food, in front of Chou-Chou. She pressed the button, forever cementing this memory in both mental and physical form. She never wanted to forget this.

She watched as Nami, the future navigator, watched on, a shocked look on her face. She couldn't blame her for the look. Monkey D. Luffy was truly a one of a kind pirate. She'd even go as far as to call him an anomaly. He and his crew, both future and present, were all one of a kind. They were special. Something she wasn't and never would be.

"I didn't get to see you in action…" She heard Luffy say as she tore herself from her thoughts. "But I know you did good!"

As Luffy watched on with a smile, the dog picked up the lone back of food and padded down the street and away from them. Before leaving, he turned around, dropped the food and let out a happy bark. Nora felt her heart swell. This was why she wanted to remember it. Despite everything, this scene was truly heartwarming.

"Thanks." Luffy said with, to no surprise, his usual large grin. "Good luck to you to!"

"Sorry I yelled at you." Nami said with a smile, staring down at Luffy.

"That's okay. I know you lost someone to pirates." Luffy said as he stood up and brushed himself off. "I understand… Not that I want to hear the details or anything."

"I can't stand it no more!" The mayor suddenly yelled and he let out a loud shout of frustration.

Nora lifted herself off of the ground as she watched the mayor of this town finally explode. He had had enough of the Buggy Pirates and it seemed that Chou-Chou's fight had increased his moral. As Nami tried to calm him down and make him think rationally about the situation, he turned to Luffy.

"Sometimes a man gotta do what a man's gotta go!" He yelled out. "Isn't that right sonny?"

"That's right!" Luffy said as he crossed his arms and grinned at the mayor. "You said it old man!"

Nora shook her head at Luffy and the mayor's antics. She admired his moral but the fact was that Buggy and his crew were strong. Despite everything, they could do some serious damage, especially to an old man who wasn't thinking straight. His moral only increased as he began to talk about the town's history and the fifty years of hard work that they put into shape this town into what it was today. They had run away from their old town at the pirates that had destroyed it and built a new town in the wilderness.

"This town and it's people are my treasure!" He yelled as he raised his spear into the air. "I'd be a sorry excuse for a mayor if I didn't try to protect the town! I'm gonna fight!"

Almost ironically, immediately after the mayor finished his sentence, an explosion rocked the town. Another Buggy Ball had been fired, destroying a whole row of houses and shops. Building after building was torn apart by the cannon ball. The force of the explosion directly besides them sent them sprawling across the floor. She winced at slightly at the pain that was sent through her body, truthfully though, it was nothing compared to the pain she had felt when the car had hit her.

"My house was ruined!" The mayor spoke with gritted teeth and a look of anger on his face.

"Hey!" Luffy yelled upon hearing the mayor's statement. "Zoro was sleeping in there!"

With Luffy's shocked yell, the four of them ran off, following the mayor in the direction that his house had once stood. Nora knew that he would be fine but she followed anyway, not wanting to get lost in the deserted and winding streets. Especially when there was pirates in the town. They stood in front of the rubble, watching as the smoke cleared, looking for any sign of Zoro being alive. Soon, it came.

"That's one hell of an alarm clock." Zoro said as he let out a groan. The smoke had cleared enough for them to see him sitting on the ground and clutching his head.

"That's your response to nearly getting blown to pieces?" Nora asked as she shook her in disbelief. "That is not normal."

"Hey!" Luffy yelled out in happiness. "You're alive!"

"How could anyone live through that?" Nami said in shock as she watched Zoro stand up. This was the second time she had seen someone survive something they shouldn't have that day.

This was the final straw for the mayor. He heaved in anger, his grip on his spear tightening to the point she was sure that the old man would manage to break it. Her, Nami, Zoro and Luffy watched on as the mayor spoke, moreso to himself, and decided that he was going to save the town. With his spear in the air, he began to ran off in the direction of where they Buggy pirates had set up camp. Nami tried desperately to stop him but he had made up his mind.

"Getting yourself killed won't accomplish anything!" Nami said as she grabbed onto his back. "You're being reckless!"

"I know I'm being reckless!" The mayor roared as he whipped around before quickly going back to his original mission. "Buggy the Clown! Prepare to face the mayor."

"The mayor…" Nami said as she watched him run away. "He was crying."

"It didn't look that way to me!" Luffy said as he watched the mayor run, a look of respect in his eyes.

"Things are finally gonna get fun!" Zoro exclaimed from the floor with a smirk as his captain laughed and agreed.

"I'm probably going to have another near death experience." Nora said as she let out a sigh and shook her head. "It will be interesting to watch though…"

"This is no laughing matter!" Nami yelled as Luffy continued to laugh.

"Don't worry, I like that old man." He replied. "I won't let him get killed."

Nora knew for a fact that he meant that.

She felt a smile come onto her face as she looked between the trio in front of her. Watching them talk, about getting the map, saving the mayor and going to the Grand Line made her happy. They would go on so many adventures soon and they would gain so many friends along the way.

She just hoped that once they left this island that they would remember her.

"Let's just say we'll join forces..." Nami said as she and Luffy confirmed the deal with a slap of their hands. "Work together for a common goal."

And with that, they took off in the direction that the mayor had run. As they walked, she couldn't help but be nervous. The fear of dying was still there and even stronger than the run in with the marines. Buggy and his crew were pirates that wouldn't have a problem killing her while the marines weren't so dead set on killing anything that moved. There would be many more opportunities for her to lose her life and she just hoped she'd be able to avoid them.

"You're coming too?" Nami yelled out as Zoro stood and followed them, pulling out his bandanna. "What about your wounds?"

"They got better." Was his detailed response.

"Zoro. You're an idiot." Nora said as she turned to look at him with a flat stare. "That isn't how the human body works. But then again, I'm not convinced you're human…"

"I'm more worried about my reputation than my guts. Right now, I've got a score to settle." The swordsman spoke with a smirk as he fastened the bandana around his head. "Let's do it."

"I can't wait!" Luffy said, cracking his knuckles with a smirk of his own.

Nami and Nora followed behind them, both shaking their heads at the boys antics. Things were truly about to get interesting. And dangerous.

As they got closer to the tavern that Buggy and his pirates were using as a makeshift base, they heard the pained cries of the mayor. Luffy rushed forward to see what was going on and to help the mayor. Nora didn't need to rush forward though. She knew that was Buggy who was strangling the mayor and she knew that Luffy would save him.

"I'm back." Luffy said as he ripped Buggy's detached hand away from the mayor. "I told you I'd clobber you!"

"I don't believe it! You two must enjoy pain." Buggy yelled out to them as they stood below the tavern. "But this time you won't escape me!"

"Have fun fighting boys." Nami said to Zoro and Luffy as she ignored Buggy's outburst. "I'm just here for the map and the treasure!"

"I'm just here to watch." Nora added in with a slight nod. "...And maybe so get some good photos."

"Whatever." Zoro replied placing his hands on his swords and shaking his head.

"You young whippersnappers. You're outsiders… Not your fight." The mayor said from the ground as he struggled to speak. "This is _my_ battle. It's _my_ town and _I'll_ protect it! So don't intere!"

With those words, Luffy slammed the mayor's head into a wall without even the slightest hint of mercy. Everyone watched in shock as the sound of his face hitting the wall echoed through the streets. Even Buggy was watching in confusion at the younger captains actions. Her on the other hand? She just let out a sigh and shook her head for what felt like the millionth time that day. Luffy had good intentions but there were better ways that he could have gone about it. Knocking someone out really wasn't the best way to shut them up. She watched as the mayor fell to the ground like a rock. He was completely out cold.

"Argh you! Whose side are you on!?" Nami bellowed in anger. "Why'd you do that to the mayor?"

"He was in the way!" Luffy replied with a grin, sending a grin to Buggy.

"Good thinking… He would have gotten himself killed." Zoro said with a nod of approval. "He'll be safer unconscious."

"Safer unconscious?" Nora echoed as a thought crossed her mind. "If that's the case then go ahead and knock me out!"

"You're to reckless!" Nami continued to yell at Luffy before turning to her and Zoro. "And are you two _stupid_ or something?"

"Hey you!" Luffy yelled to Buggy who was on the taverns roof. "Big Nose!"

 _And this is where things get interesting_. Nora thought as she let out a laugh at the reaction of Buggy and his pirates. Even Nami and Zoro's reactions were pretty funny. She'd always wondered what it would be like to see anime and manga reactions in real life. Would they be as funny or would it just look normal? Well after being in the One Piece world for a mere two days, she could confirm that they were funny. As in _really_ funny. If she was close enough, she would have snapped a picture.

"Kill him!" Buggy roared in absolute fury as his face grew red. "Give 'im the Buggy Ball!"

As she watched his crew move to follow his orders, she decided that perhaps it was in her best interests to move to the side a bit. While she knew they would all be fine, her memory of this particular scene was a bit hazy. She didn't want to take any chances. Those Buggy Balls could do some serious damage.

"That measly cannon ball's not gonna work on me!" Luffy said with a smirk, ignoring Zoro and Nami's warning shouts. He then took in a deep breath. "Gum Gum Balloon!"

She looked on in awe and amazement as Luffy's body increased and stretched. Seeing his arms stretch was weird. Seeing him get shot and have the bullets merely bounce off of him was weirder. But this! This definitely took the cake. Seeing him expand like that just didn't seem normal! Based on the reactions of Buggy, his crew and Nami, she wasn't the only one thinking this. Although there reactions were more so shocked while hers was awe.

"You could have at least told us what you planning." Zoro said as he covered his face at his captains antics.

"Seeing him stretch is truly an amazing sight." Nora said with a laugh as she stepped back closer to the others and watched the Buggy Ball fly back towards the tavern.

A large grin grew on her face as she watched it crash into the tavern. The explosion completely destroyed the building. It send some of the pirates flying while others were buried under the debris of what had once been a building. Watching it made her happy because it felt like this was, in a way, for Chou-Chou. It didn't change what had happened but it did feel like a good taste of karma for the Buggy Pirates.

"That evens the odds a little!" Luffy said with a hand on his hat. "Let's get 'em!"

"What are you?!" Nami screeched, having fallen to the ground in shock.

"Made me worry for nothing…" Zoro said as he shook his head.

They looked on as the building continued to fall apart, crashing to the ground and burying even more of the pirates. As they waited for the Buggy Pirates to make a move, Nami began to question Luffy about what he was and how he'd managed to inflate himself like a balloon. Nora couldn't quite understand why she was asking what he was when earlier she had been seeing Buggy detach his body parts… As Nami and Luffy continued to talk, a figure appeared from the dust. Well moreso three figures and a lion. Buggy had used his crew as a shield and Cabaji had used Richie. As they spoke between each other, another figure emerged from the rubble. This time it was Mohji. A very _angry_ Mohji. He didn't seem to take very well to his lion being used as a shield.

"It's that kid in the straw hat! Cap'n Buggy watch out for him!" Mohji suddenly yelled out with a gasp when he noticed Luffy. "He's got special powers from eating the devil fruit. Just like you! He's a rubberman."

"A bit late to mention that now…" Nora muttered, looking at the rubble of what was once the tavern.

"Rubber man?" Nami yelled at Luffy in shock.

"Yep… See?" Was Luffy's response as he stretched his cheeks.

Mohji was suddenly sent flying by an angered Buggy, right in the direction of them. Deciding to take a note from Buggy's book, she stepped behind Zoro. She did not want to get hit by a human missile. Luffy, to no surprise, didn't share her concerns and got into stance with a grin. Swinging his leg up, he landed a solid kick onto the lion tamers face, altering his direction. Nami had to jump out of the way as he was sent in her direction. Nora winced slightly at the noise it made when Luffy's foot connected with his face. That would've hurt.

"Buggy's second mate, Cabaji the Acrobat!" Cabaji yelled out with a his sword in his hand, making her laugh slightly. Who addressed themselves in third person? "I'll cut 'em to mince meat cap'n!"

"If it's a sword duel you want…" Zoro said, stepping in front of Luffy and blocking the attack with his own sword. "I'm your man."

As Cabaji made his reply about it 'being an honour to cut him down' she noticed Zoro's slightly wince. Despite what he said, his earlier wounds _hadn't_ healed and he really was in no condition to fight. She wasn't the only one to notice this fact. Both Nami and Luffy turned to him. Luffy tried to get Zoro to stop, telling him that he'd handle him, but that didn't happen. Instead, Cabaji pulled down the scarf around his neck and blew a breath of fire at Zoro before rushing forward and sending a solid kick to his wound. She winced as she watched, not even wanting to imagine how much that would have hurt. She got her answer when he let out a yell of pain, falling backwards to the floor.

"That's dirty!" Nami said with gritted teeth and a glare. "You're aiming for his injuries."

"I really don't like this crew." Nora said with a glare of her own.

Cabaji had no mercy and moved onto his next dirty trick. This one he called ' _Murder At The Steam Bath_ ', quite a stupid name in her opinion. He ran his swords along the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and making it impossible for Zoro to see. As the swordsman was on the floor, questioning what sort of trick that was, the acrobat jumped forward into the cloud of dust. She couldn't see what was going on but she could hear the clinking of swords. Soon enough, Zoro was sent out of the dust cloud with another kick to his wound.

"Zoro's hurt bad! How's he supposed to fight?" Nami said, turning to Luffy. "How can you just stand there and watch your friend get killed?"

Rather than answering, Luffy simply watched on. She watched as Cabaji got ready to give the final blow and cut down Zoro, only, that didn't happen. Zoro, while still pained, had managed to get up and knock the other swordsman down. It was truly quite a remarkable thing to be able to do with wounds like the ones he had. Especially after they'd just been kicked.

"You're a very annoying person." Zoro said as he huffed with his sword in hand. "I hope you enjoyed kicking my wound."

He then did something that made everyone, even Nora, to be shocked. He took his own sword and slashed the wound himself, making it even deeper than it had been before. Even though she knew it would happen, seeing it just made her realise how real everything was.

"My goal is to be the world's greatest swordsman." He spoke, much to Cabaji's confusion. "Is that enough of a handicap for you? Now I'll show you some real swordplay."

"Wow! Zoro's so cool!" Luffy cried out with a grin as he watched his first mate place place a sword in his mouth.

"He is." Nora said with a nod as she watched on in awe.

Even this early on he managed to be so cool!

"I'm feeling faint just watching this." Nami said while Luffy cheered Zoro on.

They watched as the two swordsman faced each other, a heavy tension filling the air. The pair talked and the deadly aura around Zoro increased. She watched as he positioned his swords. A fight was about to break out and it was going to amazing to watch. So amazing that she decided this was worthy of a photo. Her film was running low but she knew it was worth it. She wanted to remember her time with the Straw Hats, even if it was a short time.

"Hey. That shack behind the ruins of the tavern… That's where they keep their treasure and Buggy's probably got the map of the Grand Line." Nami said to her and Luffy as she gestured to the shack.

She began to tell them that she was going to go off and make her escape with the treasure and how she didn't really care whether they won or lost the fight. But she did mention that she would team up with them if they managed to get the map off of Buggy. Seeing Nami like this made Nora sad. Just knowing why she was doing this and what was going on made her, once again, wish she could help. That wasn't possible for her though.

Once Nami had run off, she turned her attention back to the two swordsman just in time to see Cabaji throwing spinning tops across the ground and then ride up the wall on his unicycle. The rules of physics really didn't apply to anyone in the _One Piece_ world… As Zoro cut the spinning tops away from him, Cabaji bounced off of the building, directly above Zoro, and began to fall with his sword aimed directly at him. It was then, that her hate for the Buggy pirates increased. Buggy sent his hand to Zoro, interrupting the duel between the two. This crew truly fought using dirty tricks.

"Cabaji! I'll hold Zoro down!" He yelled to his second mate. "You finish him off!"

Zoro's teeth clenched around his sword as he noticed the position he was in. Thankfully, Luffy managed to save the day. He ran forward and slammed his foot onto Buggy's hand, halting it in it's path. Buggy let out a yell of pain while Nora let out a sigh of relief. Her memory of this arc was to hazy for her to be sure if everything was going exactly as it should so she was tense with every move.

"Keep your mitts out of Zoro's duel!" Luffy said with a smirk while Buggy cursed.

"I don't need captain to lend me a hand to kill _you_!" Cabaji shouted, seconds before his sword hit the ground, completely missing Zoro who had dived out of the way.

"I've had enough." Zoro said as he kneeled on the ground and huffed. "I'm tired."

Cabaji seemed to take those words as Zoro surrendering as he began to laugh at him and begin to taunt him about giving up. Nora grinned when she saw Zoro kick the unicycle, knocking the other pirate to the ground. With this, one of his truly intimidating glares came onto his face as he corrected the other pirate, telling him he was sick of the stupid circus tricks. Cabaji charged forwards in anger but she knew that that was a mistake. He would now lose the fight. Seconds later, this was proved to be true as Zoro cut him down with his _Onigiri_ attack.

It was _very_ satisfying.

"We're not common thieves. We're pirates!" Zoro said as he took of his bandana, his posture unbalanced before he slumped to the floor. "Luffy. I'm going to sleep now."

"Go ahead and sleep." Luffy said as he prepared to fight. "I'll take it from here!"

Nora shook her head at their casualness. They were acting like Zoro didn't have life threatening wounds. Deciding that she could at least try and be useful, she chose to go over and attempt to stop the blood flowing from Zoro's wound. She tuned out the conversations of Buggy and Luffy in favour of pushing Zoro over so that she could get a better view of his wound. She was no doctor but she knew this was a nasty cut. He would be fine whether she helped or not, but perhaps this way, he'd recover a bit quicker and be in less pain.

Even though she hadn't been listening, she heard Luffy's infamous claims of becoming the King of the Pirates. As she turned to watch Buggy's reaction, she knew there was more to it than there may seem. He had, after all, been a part of the Pirate King's crew.

"You and your straw hat remind me of _him_ when he was younger. The insolent dog with the red hair!" She heard Buggy say as she tied so material around Zoro's sides. She then felt a piercing gaze on her back. "And then that girl over there looks exactly like _her_!"

W _ait? Was he talking about me looking like someone?_ Nora thought as she looked back with a frown at the glaring pirate. _What was he on about?_

"Red hair?" Luffy said, recapturing Buggy's attention. "Did you know Shanks?"

"Hmmm. What's this? Looks like you are considerably interested." Buggy replied with a grin on his face, looking like he'd somehow won. "I know him but why do you want to know?"

As the two continued to talk about Shanks, Luffy asking questions and Buggy not answering them, she thought of what Buggy had said to her. Who did she look like and what did he mean by that? Were their eyes the same or perhaps the colour of their hair? As she pondered his statement, she decided it was probably nothing. She didn't have wildly coloured hair or eyes that would make her stand out or be incredibly noticeable. Her hair was light brown and her eyes were green! There were probably millions of people that looked like her. Buggy must have just been seeing things through the eyes of anger.

By the time she had come to the conclusion that there was nothing to worry about, she had managed to place a makeshift bandage around Zoro's wound. Glancing back to the two pirate captains she saw Buggy's leg flying through the air with a knife attached to the boot. Just thinking that sentence was enough to make her frown. What a weird world she had been put into…

Luffy was able to avoid the leg but Buggy wasn't done yet. He threw a barrage of knives at the rubber boy, all of which Luffy was able to dodge by pulling himself out of the way. Letting go of the pole and landing back on the floor, he stretched his arm and sent a punch in the clowns direction only for Buggy to avoid the attack as well. She watched in amusement as Buggy grabbed onto his arm, preparing to cut it, only for Luffy to send himself flying through the air like a human cannonball. To avoid this attack, Buggy split his head off just in time.

"Watching people fight with devil fruit powers is weird." Nora muttered to herself at the sheer oddity of the fight that was happening in front of her.

Luffy slammed into a building, tearing it to bits before getting up from the rubble with a frown as he adjusted his signature hat. In the distance, she could see Nami watching the fight play out with a look of disbelief on her face. She then saw Buggy's hand detach, knives between his fingers, as it flew in Luffy's direction. He was able to catch it just in time but had another near miss when the hand disconnected from the forearm.

 _Huh. It's kinda like that one song._ Nora mused. _The hand bones connected to the arm bone…_

Luffy was once again sent into the rubble of the building and when he got up this time, he did not look happy. There was a line of blood dripping from where the blade had cut him and he scowled as he held the hat in his hand. He looked absolutely furious.

"What? So you're pissed that your face is scarred?" Buggy asked, slightly taken back at the boy's anger.

"How dare you mess up…" Luffy ground out with a dark look in his eyes. "This hat!"

"What?" Was Buggy's response as he frowned slightly.

"This is my treasure!" Luffy roared out with a look of fury on his face. "I will never forgive anyone who messes up this hat!"

She watched as a smirk grew onto Buggy's face and he questioned Luffy if the hat was truly that precious to him. She could see his hand, still holding the knives, rise from the rubble just behind Luffy. The knives then began to chase Luffy around, aiming specifically for his hat. She watched on with a sad frown as the three knives pierced the top of the hat and Luffy's eyes widened. As Buggy began to laugh, pure rage surrounded Luffy and it seemed that everyone but Buggy was able to notice it. Even his crew, who were pretending to be passed out, looked unnerved.

"That's the hat I swore myself to with Shanks!" Luffy bellowed as he ran towards Buggy and his hat.

"What? This is Shanks' hat?! I thought it looked familiar!" Buggy said as he flicked the hat to the ground in irritation. "Me and that guy used to be on the same pirate ship. To rephrase that… He was my comrade when we were still pirate trainees."

 _On the Gol D. Rogers ship._ Nora thought with a shake of her head as she thought about that crew and all the powerful and amazing people who were on that crew.

"Shanks is a great man! You say that he was your comrade?" As she saw Luffy rush forward, she knew this would make another amazing photo. "Don't compare yourself with him!"

With the click of a button, she was able to capture a second image of one of Luffy's infamous attacks on the villain. She was starting to have quite a good collection…

She watched as Buggy was sent sprawling across the floor, a pained look on his face as small tears escaped his eyes and his head connected back to his body. Luffy grabbed his hat and then growled at the saliva that Buggy had spat on it. Pinning him down, he rubbed the hat against the clowns face in an attempt to clean it. It was quite a trivial site to see a rookie pirate mess with a pirate that had sailed on the Oro Jackson. Luffy continued to hold him down as they talked and Luffy tugged at his cheeks. Eventually he got fed up and sent a solid karate chop to his skull.

"Through my whole life, even until today, there has not been a single person who has made me madder than he did!" Buggy yelled out, now standing up again. "That bastard, he… he took a tremendous amount of treasure from me! I can't forgive him!"

Buggy then began to tell them the tale of him and Shanks. Hs story began with him and Shanks being on a ship arguing before they were stopped by one of their superiors. Nora knowing that that superior was Rayleigh. It then led to how they were fighting with another pirate ship and how Buggy found the treasure map that claimed to lead to a huge amount of treasure at the sea bed. He told them how he hid it and how on that one fateful night, Shanks had spooked him into swallowing the devil fruit and made him lose the map.

"So I ate a one hundred million berri worth fruit and became unable to swim!" Buggy said as he finished his story. "And I also missed the treasure lying on the seabed!"

"Oh." Luffy said with a grin. "So Shanks saved your life."

It was at this statement that Buggy went off into another one of his rants about him settling for all the treasure above land. As he ranted, his body from his torso upwards was detached as he drew his knives. At first it appeared that he was aiming for Luffy but Nora could see Nami in the distance, a bag of treasure in her possession.

"Put my treasure down! Since when did you think you could fool me, Nami?" He shouted as he flew towards a shocked Nami. "Let me send you painfully to the nether-world."

Knowing what was about to happen, Nora suppressed a laugh as she once again took out her polaroid. She wanted, no needed, to catch this whole scene in the image. Everytime she read or saw it, she would laugh so a picture of the real thing would be a gift from the heavens. She position it so that both halfs of Buggy and Luffy were in the photo and clicked the button as Luffy kicked the other pirate in the crotch. She grinned as she watched the image develop.

It was a masterpiece.

She had spent spaced out for sometime as she stared at the film but was quickly brought back to reality when she saw Buggy once again split into a multitude of pieces and attacked Nami. His body flew around the air in tiny pieces, almost like a human tornado. As she watched this Buggy tornado, she saw Luffy making his way over to the detached feet which still happened to be on the ground. Upon realising that the feet couldn't fly, he dived at them and took ahold of them. He then took the feet from the boots and began to tickle them, another sight that Nora just had to get a photo of. Buggy began to let out loud laughs and shouts as he continued to chase a screaming Nami. When the tickling wasn't enough to stop him, Luffy resorted to slamming his toes to the ground and then stretching the skin, which finally caused him to stop.

"Stop it you idiot!" Buggy shouted out after a pained yell, turning back to face Luffy.

Nami took his momentary distraction and swung the giant bag of treasure at him. This, however, did not have the desired effect. He instead took a hold of the bag with a grin, starting a tug of war match between the two. For what felt like the millionth time that day, she watched as Luffy ran forward and sent yet another attack to his face, yet again sending him flying, the bag of treasure following close behind.

"That last kick was for the village mayor." Luffy said with a grin as he wiped the blood from the side of his face.

As Nami and Luffy conversed, Nora took the chance to get up from her position on the floor and head over to the pair. She wouldn't have much time left with them so she might as well savour it. She walked over to the pair with a grin on her face.

"Alright! I've finally got it!" Luffy yelled out with a piece of parchment in his hand. "The Grand Line map!"

"You did well!" Nora said with a grin as she placed an arm over his shoulder and ruffled his air. "You really kicked his ass!"

"Wait! Gomu-Gomu kid!" Buggy suddenly shouted, making her falter when she realised he wasn't down for good.

"Eh?" Luffy said in confusion. "You're still alive?"

I'll kill you once and for all!" He shouted making her roll her eyes. "Gather up Bara Bara parts!"

Once again, things didn't go as planned for Buggy the Clown. She laughed, yet again, and snapped a quick shot of the sight in front of her. Nami had managed to tie up the rest of his body parts, leaving him a pair of feet, hands and a head. It was absolutely _hilarious_.

"A thief definitely has some cool skills! Leave the rest to me!" Luffy said with a heartfelt laugh, stretching his arms backwards. "Get lost Buggy!"

And with that, Buggy the clown blasted off again, just like _Team Rocket_.

"Well that went well." Nora said with a grin. "A lot of effort for just some food though…"

"It was fun though!" Luffy replied with another laugh. "And we managed to find a navigator! Now you're both gonna be my crew mates right?"

As Nami answered Luffy and spoke of their temporary arrangement, Nora thought about his question. To join the Straw Hat's crew was every _One Piece_ fans dream, but now, being in this world, she knew it wasn't realistic. After no more than two and a half days, she had seen things that were both amazing and dangerous. There were so many times she could of died and the East Blue was supposedly the weakest of the four blues! No matter how much fun it may be, she simply couldn't go.

"What about you Nora?" Luffy asked as he began to search the ground for his hat.

"I'm staying on this island." She replied with a nod. This was the right choice.

"That hat…" Nami said, preventing Luffy from responding. "Is it that precious to you?"

"Yeah but it's alright! I feel better now that I got rid of Buggy!" Luffy said with a smile as he happily placed the hat on his head and then walked over to Zoro. "Oi Zoro, get up."

"Hmm…" Zoro groaned out as he slowly woke up. "Did you finish the fight."

"Yeah he did." Nora said as she made her way to the pair, photos in hand. "And I got some amazing photos."

"Yeah!" Luffy said with a nod as he glanced at the pictures. "We also got the map and the treasure!"

"I don't think I can walk yet." Zoro said as he clutched his head.

"Obviously! If you guys can still walk you're not human!" The navigator shouted. Upon Luffy questioning why he was included she shouted once again. "You're the weirdest!"

"I'm going to assume that I wasn't included in that statement." Nora said with a shake of her head.

"Oh yeah!" Luffy suddenly exclaimed. "I'll wake up the mayor!"

It was then that they heard another voice, or rather a group of voices. Nora felt herself stiffen slightly as she let out a curse under her breath. She had forgotten that the villagers would make an appearance! She let out even more silent curses as the conversation progressed and Luffy told the villagers that he was the one to knock out the mayor. It was then that the villagers turned to them with glares and readied their weapons.

"We are pirates."

And with Luffy's simple announcement, all of hell broke loose. Zoro began to laugh while Nami screamed at Luffy and Nora let out loud curses. She was once again, being thought of as a pirate. Her curses only grew louder as the four of them had to run away from the mob of angry villagers. Nami carrying her bag, Luffy carrying Zoro and the treasure and Nora carrying the weight of the fact that she wasn't going to be able to stay on this island either.

"Why do I keep getting dragged into these things?" She screeched out as she ran as fast as her legs would allow her. "I'm not a damn pirate!"

"Why the hell did you make the situation more complicated?" Nami managed to get out as they ran.

"This is a good village. For their mayor, for just one person… They're all getting mad!" He replied with a happy grin. "No matter what excuse, they'll still be mad at us."

As they quickly turned down an alleyway, they passed a now patched up Chou-Chou. Nora let out another frustrated yell as she thought about the peaceful life she could of had on the island with the cute dog. If only she had remembered that this would happen! Luffy turned back to look at confusion before grinning upon seeing it block the villagers paths. With the help of Chou-Chou, they were able to get to the docks with no problem at all.

"I was getting pretty worried. Thanks to Chou-Chou we barely got away!" Nami said as they slowed down to a walk. "Why does it always end like this?"

"Who cares what they think! We did what we came to do!" Luffy said with a grin. "Well it's not quite like that…"

" _I_ care! This is the second island that now thinks I'm a pirate!" Nora yelled out as she tugged at her hair as she continued to sulk. "I just wanted to spend a nice, peaceful life on this island…"

"You are a pirate though." Luffy replied, making her eye twitch. His attention was quickly diverted before she had the chance to yell at him. "Is this your boat? It's so cool! I envy you!"

"I don't think so…" Nami said sheepishly. "I stole it from a bunch of stupid pirates…"

"We have been waiting for you thief!" A new voice suddenly said, one that Nora recognised from earlier in the day. She watched as the three Buggy pirates talked with Nami and Luffy, letting out a sigh and just hoping for this to end quickly. The next stop was Syrup Village. She would be able to live a peaceful life there with Kaya and those vegetable boys…

"Hey, hold your face up properly." One of the pirates said as he came over and pet Zoro's head.

With one glare from Zoro, the three pirates were sent scattering, much to her pleasure. This would mean she was one step closer to the peaceful life she wanted! She would also have a chance to record the day's events in her journal. She'd have to power through her seasickness but she could do it. She _never_ missed a day of writing in her journal.

"That was weird." Luffy said with a laugh as he hopped onto the boat. "Oh well, let's go."

"Let's get this horrible experience over and done with." She said with a sigh as she followed the others onto the boat, choosing to go the one with Buggy's jolly roger due to it's slightly bigger size, maybe she wouldn't feel so sick.

"Stop right there you morons!" The mayor yelled as he came to a stop on the dock, halting Luffy's mindless chatter. "I'm sorry! I owe you!"

Despite everything that had happened, she felt a grin come onto her face as they began to sail away. One Piece truly did have some amazing people in it's world. Thinking about the last time she'd left an island, she took a quick snap of the mayor on the docks and added it to her growing collection, alongside the one of Coby and the marines of the docks.

"Don't worry about it!" Luffy shouted out. "Just live happy lives!"

And with that, they sailed away.

* * *

 **OH BOY WAS THIS A LONG CHAPTER. It was about 700 off of 10k to be exact. Sorry if it's too long, I just wanted to wrap this arc up and head onto the next one. I've got some things that I'm excited about in the next arc. Ignore and typos or mistakes btw! x**

 **Anyway, what did you think of this incredibly long chapter? There were some pretty important things mentioned in this… Did you pick them all up? Some weren't as obvious as others.**

 **On a seperate note, I turned 17 the other day! Another year and another birthday. I also got tickets to see All Time Low, my absolute favourite band, so I'm just super happy.**

 **Don't forget to review/follow/favourite and I'll see all you lovely people next chapter! :)**


	4. Rare & Precious

**Shorter chapter than usual! Sorry about that, hope you enjoy it anyway! As always, longer author's note at the end if you want to give it a read**

* * *

The Misadventures of Nora

Chapter 4

Rare & Precious

* * *

"What?! You left the treasure behind? I gave you half of it didn't I? That's five million berri!"

"Yeah but since half the village is destroyed it will take some money to repair it!"

"That's my treasure!"

"Ugh. I'm gonna puke again."

They were once again back on the ocean and Nora was once again feeling the horrible effects that it had on her. She'd barely managed to right in her journal about the day's events before she had puked. Getting on the slightly bigger boat had not helped. _At all_. She could still feel the rocking of the waves and the churning of her stomach. The noise that Nami and Luffy were making really weren't helping either.

"Stop it! I can't swim!" Luffy screeched whilst struggling in Nami's grip as she tried to drown him. "If you want it so badly, go and take it back from them!"

"How could I do that?" She yelled her response as she continued to try to drown the boy. "If you ever do that again you're dead!"

"Yep, I'm definitely going to puke again…" Nora groaned out as she leant overboard and, for the millionth time, threw up.

As all of this took place, Zoro let out loud bellowing laughs, not bothering to help either his captain or the sick Nora.

"You're going to have to get over your seasickness." Luffy said as he sat on the boat opposite her. "Pirates spend almost all their time at sea!"

"I heard that that needle thing works." Zoro responded as she groaned and leant her head against the ship's railing.

"I am not letting any of you try acupuncture on me." She was able to get out as she closed her eyes. "And I'm not even a pirate!"

"Well this is your second time sailing with them." Nami said as she turned to the girl she was sharing the boat with. "It does seem like you're a pirate."

"Because pirates spend their whole time out at sea throwing up." Was her sarcastic response. She then let out another groan and lent overboard. Her mood only worsened when she heard the familiar sound of her camera going off and she looked up to see that Luffy had it pointed at her. "Don't take photos of me puking!"

"It'll be a good memory." Zoro said with a laugh as he took the photo from his captain and looked at it. His laugh only increased when he saw the photo. "You look like you're ready to die!"

"At this rate, I am!" She yelled out in exasperation. "Now give me my bag back."

"You can be our crews writer and photographer!" Luffy said as he ignored her complaints. "You've already started the log book!"

"Just accept it." Zoro said to her as she groaned. "You're a pirate."

"No I'm not!"

* * *

"It's fixed!" Luffy yelled out as he stood with a grin on his face in absolute glee.

A fair bit of time had passed since they had set sail and Nora's stomach had managed to somewhat ease. By that, she meant she was only puking every fifteen minutes rather than every two minutes. In that time, Nami had managed to fix the three knife holes in Luffy's straw hat and Zoro had, unsurprisingly, decided to take a nap.

"I just mended the cuts." Nami said, packing up her sewing gear into the small sack. "I think that should do it. Try not to poke it much."

"Right. Right. Thanks! You did a great job fixing this hat!" Luffy replied, not heeding Nami's warning as he began to furiously poke the hat. "Uh oh."

"That was stupid." Nora said with a flat stare at the sight of Luffy's finger poking directly through the hats centre. "You managed to keep this hat in one piece for years and now you just go on and poke a hole through it."

"I didn't mean to!" He yelled out as he jumped away from a furious Nami as she began to poke him with the needle and scold him. "Stop poking me with that needle! It hurts!"

"It's useless if I hit you!" Nami yelled back. "So I have to use the needle."

"You guys are too noisy.I'm hungry." Zoro said as he woke up from his nap and sat up. He then turned to Nami. "Share us some food!"

"Please don't mention food." She said as she clutched her stomach and went pale. "I think I might throw up again…"

As Nami lectured them on going out to sea and how they should have brought their own food, Nora noticed an island off in the distance. She couldn't be sure but she thought that it was probably Usopp's island. She was truthfully quite surprised and how long it took for them to go from one island to another in the East Blue. But then again, the short traveling _would_ explain why Luffy and Zoro hadn't starved….

"It's a miracle you've survived up to now!" Nami said as she finally gave in and handed over some of the food.

"There's always a way!" Zoro said as he happily munched on his food. He then turned to Nora and offered her some. "Want any food?"

"Just thinking of food makes me feel nauseous." She replied with a shake of her head. "I can't wait 'till we reach the next island."

"Hey!" Luffy said, peering through a pair of binoculars. "There's an island!"

"That island is no good." Nami said with a shake of her head, not noticed Luffy and Zoro beginning to row away. "It's unpopulated so it's useless. Let's just keep going. Hey!"

The two girls watched on as they sailed away, discussing finding a new crewmate and coming up with some plans. She smiled at the mention of a new crew mate, thinking of how in just a short time, Luffy would meet a new crew mate. Usopp was on that island, waiting to become a brave hero. The Going Merry was also waiting for him. Something that made her heart quake slightly as she thought about what would happen after Enies Lobby….

"I hope you're not expecting me to help you row after them." She said as she turned to the navigator. "I feel awful."

Letting out a growl, Nami grabbed the oars and began to frantically row after the ther small boat. With the help of her knowledge of the weather and navigating, they were able to catch up quite easily, docking onto the island's shore alongside the other boat. This island however, wasn't the one she had been expecting it to be. This wasn't Syrup Village! Had she somehow messed up the timeline and made them go to a new island? Or had she forgotten some island?

"You're right!" Luffy said as she tuned back into the conversation. "Well let's go!"

Nora chose to follow the two into the looming and kind of creepy forest. She had decided that literally anything was better than staying on that damn boat. Zoro would be fine napping. If someone, or something, tried to attack him, he'd deal with them in a second. For now, she needed to figure out what island this was. As she glanced around the forest that they had barely just stepped into, she got her answer. As she looked at the strange, mixed animals, her eyes widened.

 _This was Gaimon's island!_

If they were here, without Sanji and Usopp that meant that Luffy and his crew's adventures were following that of the manga. That did make sense… But what would happen to the fillers? Were they simply fictional and things that had never truly happened or were they adventures that the manga hadn't shown but the anime did? As she tried to figure out the One Piece chronology, she realised she would never find out. As far as she could remember, there were no fillers before Loguetown and she was going to be staying on the next island in Syrup Village. She felt oddly sad as she realised that she would never be able to know what adventures they truly went on.

 _It's for the best._ She told herself as she glanced away from the strange rooster dog? Or was that a wolf? Maybe it was a racoon…

"What is that…?" Nami whispered out in shock as the strange creature padded past them.

"Hey look!" Luffy said with a grin on his face and a snake rabbit in his hands. "What a weird rabbit!"

"I don't know how to feel about this…" Nora said as her eyes scanned the variety of strange creatures. As far as she could remember, there never really had been an explanation for these creatures.

"It's weird alright!" Nami said as she jumped away from the creature in Luffy's grasp. "But I think that it's a mutant snake!"

"How about that lion?" He said as he pointed to a pig with a lion's mane.

"That… That's a pig isn't it?" Nami asked as she numbly turned to the strange animal. "A weird mutant pig."

"It's kinda cute." Nora said as she tilted her head to the side. "It looks like it has a cut scarf on."

"This forest…" Nami said as she glanced around. "It's really weird!"

"That's definitely one way of putting it." She responded, observing the strange creatures.

"Don't come closer!" Came a shout that echoed around them and the forest. "Get out!"

"What was that sound?" Nami questioned in worry. "Who are you?"

"Me?" The voice, that she knew belonged to Gaimon reply. "I am the forest guardian!"

"The forest guardian?" Luffy echoed in confusion as he glanced around for the source of the voice.

"That's right! If you want to live then leave at once!" Gaimon's voice echoed once again. "You are pirates aren't you?"

"I'm not!" Nora piped up with a slight wave after Luffy had confirmed his statement. "I'm just hitching a ride with them!"

"Why did he ask that?" Nami asked with a confused frown.

"So you are pirates! Listen well, don't take a step further to the forest!" He told them in his echoing voice. "Or else you will face… The Forest Judgement!"

"Hmph. Who cares?" Luffy said with a frown at the voices words. "What a weird guy!"

"Hey! The brat with the straw hat!" He called out in anger. "What did you just say?"

"He called you weird." Nora said with a slight snicker. She knew that Gaimon, or these creatures, would do them any harm so she might as well relax a bit, especially after the last island they'd been on. Dealing with Buggy had been more than nerve wracking.

"Where are you?" Nami questioned with her fists ready. "Come out!"

"Looks like the voice is coming from there." Luffy said while stepping towards the sound of the voice, Nora took this opportunity to move away from Luffy, knowing that a shot would soon be fired.

"Hey! I told you not to come closer!" The voice yelled out. "Receive the forests judgement!"

She jumped slightly at the sound of the gun going off, even when she had been anticipating it. She let out a sigh of relief when it missed both her and Nami and hit Luffy directly in the chest. The bullet stretched his skin, which she still couldn't get used to the looks of, and then sent flying back in the direction it had come from. The only casualty was his straw hat falling from his head.

"What a shock! That was a bullet right?" Nami said as she attempted to calm her racing heartbeat. "So… Bullets don't hurt you!"

"Yeah but that surprised me to!" Luffy said in irritation, picking up his hat and placing it on his head.

"It's kinda weird for a forest guardian to have a gun." Nora spoke aloud with a small smirk. "Really weird."

"What… What kind of thing are you?" The echoing voice cried out in shock, and perhaps fear.

"That's our line!" Luffy replied with a frown.

"Perhaps it's a ghost…" She spoke with a small laugh. "Or a mad scientist trying to protect his work!"

"Don't say things like that!" Nami said before delivering a smack to the back of Nora's head.

"The bullet was fired from there!" Luffy said, noticing the chest with what looked like a bush growing out of. In actuality, it was just Gaimon's hair.

"Look!" Nami said as she pointed her finger. "It's a pistol!"

"What's this thing?" Luffy questioned as the trio surrounded Gaimon.

"It doesn't look normal!" Nami ground out in irritation.

"Did a bush try to shoot us?" Nora added with a laugh.

The chest, or rather Gaimon, began to run away from them, his feet appearing from the bottom of the chest. His bare feet tapped on the ground as he ran but to no surprise, he wasn't able to make it to far. Not even ten metres away from them, he had tripped and fallen. The way his body was shoved in the chest prevented him from being able to stand.

"Hey!" He yelled at them once they had stood before him. "Why don't you lift me up?"

"So it wasn't a ghost or mad scientist." Nora said as she laughed slightly to herself. "Not even a bush!"

"It's a man!" Nami said as she nodded along with Nora's statement. "Why are you so angry? You tripped yourself…"

"What an interesting broccoli head!" Luffy stated, making her burst into a fit of laughter. "Broccoli man!"

"Should we help him up?" She asked as she took pity on the man, wriggling around like a turtle on it's back.

With a nod, Luffy went over to pick up Gaimon and began to carry him, all whilst the chest-man was wriggling in his grasp. The two girls followed him as they made their way back through the forest, passing even more strange creatures, and back to the shore. Placing him down onto the rocks, Luffy sat across from him, Nora quickly following and Nami deciding to stay standing.

"How did you manage to stretch like that?" Gaimon questioned, his curiosity finally getting the better of him. "I've never seen something like that before…"

"I ate the Gomu Gomu fruit." Luffy explained. "I'm a rubber man."

"Gomu Gomu fruit… It's a devil fruit right? I have heard about that before." He said, a frown making it's way onto his face. "But this is the first time I have actually met someone who ate that kind of fruit."

"It's the first time I've met someone who's stuck in a treasure chest to!" Luffy said as he leant closer to Gaimon in interest. "You're like a son in a box!"

"Yeah… My parents took care of when I was still small…" He replied with a nod of agreement before he realised what Luffy had actually just said. "Are you an idiot?!"

"He is an idiot." Nora said with a laugh before turning to Luffy. "It's supposed to be jack in a box."

"But his names Gaimon…" Luffy said as he frowned. "Not Jack."

"I got stuck in here and I can't get out! I've lived on this island like this for twenty years already!" Gaimon shouted at Luffy's simple mindedness. "Can you understand what I've been going through?!"

"What?! Twenty years?" Nami exclaimed as her head whipped around to face him in shock. "You've lived on this island by yourself?"

"That's longer than I've been alive…" Nora mused once Gaimon had confirmed Nami's statement.

 _Wait… Can I still say alive?_

"That's really stupid!" Luffy bluntly said, angering Gaimon.

As Gaimon began to reflect on his time spent on this strange island, stuck in the treasure and all alone, she began to look around at all of the strange creatures. There were so many more than she had previously expected there to be. Strange mixtures of animals were everywhere, hidden in the shadows and trees or just out in plain view. She'd need to get some pictures so that a few years down the track, she would be able to prove to herself that all of this _was_ real. The One Piece world was truly amazing. To think that this wasn't even the Grand Line, yet here she was, surrounded by amazing creatures that simply shouldn't have existed.

"Stop! Stop!" She was dragged away from her thoughts when she heard the pained yells of Gaimon as Luffy tried to drag him from the treasure chest. "My neck's gonna break!"

"You should probably stop that…" She said with a blank stare at the scene. "It might actually kill him."

"You're crazy! I haven't moved in years! My body and this treasure chest have already become one!" He shouted as he scooted away from Luffy. "If you're going to forcefully pull me out then my body will be done for!"

"But…" Nami began, a perturbed look on her face. "How did you get to this island?"

"You mentioned earlier that you were pirates right?" He asked when he had finally calmed down.

"Yeah." Luffy said with a nod as he turned to Gaimon in interest. "There are four of us."

"Three." Nora corrected. "I'm not a pirate."

"I was also once a pirate!" Gaimon said with an almost sad look on his face. "It's nice being a pirate, do you have any maps?"

"We have a navigational map for the Grand Line." Luffy explained as his grin grew. "I'm going for the One Piece!"

"What? One Piece?" He asked, a look of pure shock and disbelief coming to his features. "And you intend to go to the Grand Line?"

"He always manages to shock people with what he says." Nora muttered quietly with a slight laugh.

"Um…" Gaimon said to Luffy, who had pulled out the map and taken a seat besides him. "Which one is the Grand Line?"

"This..." Luffy replied, pointing to the map. "Uncle Broccoli, you don't know?"

"I don't really know how to read maps!" He replied as the pair laughed along together.

"I can't either." She added as moved to sit down and take a look at the map. "This is confusing."

"Is that how pirates are supposed to talk?" Nami muttered to herself, a look of disbelief on her face. She then reached forward and took the map away from them. "Listen? Do you know the Red Line?"

"I know!" Gaimon said with a nod. "That's the land that separates the oceans!"

"Yes! There are two in this world!" Nami said, still holding the map for them to see. "And the land that splits the world's two oceans is called the Red Line!"

Nora sat there, listening intently to her explanation about the Grand Line and the Red Line. Even though she knew all of this already, she was fascinated. Everything about this world seemed to fascinate her. There were so many things to be seen and adventures to be had! Piracy was a worldwide thing, something that would have never happened at her home. Then there was the devil fruits! The strange fruits that gave people even stranger powers… It was all so fascinating.

"One Piece is surely in that place!" Luffy said as he pointed to the Grand Line on the map. "That means we need to sail around the world."

Upon his statement, Gaimon quickly interjected, telling them how it not only was it hard to find, but the fact that it was also called The Pirate's Graveyard. Something Nora no longer believed after watching _One Piece_. It was a land of thriving countries and amazing cultures! He began to tell them of the time he had seen pirates return from the Grand Line and how they had seemed almost lifeless, as if they had seen some horrible things. She was reminded of Don Krieg who Luffy would soon meet.

"Nobody dared to talk about it. You could see from their look." Gaimon spoke with a dark look on his face. "The horror of the Grand Line!"

"Sounds like an interesting place…" Nora said with a knowing smile. "I wonder what horrors there are?"

"I have no other proof than this, the rumours only made it more and more mysterious." He said with a slight shrug. "It's already been twenty years since the beginning of the Great Pirate Era. That treasure might be nothing more than legend."

"But don't all truths eventually become legends?" She asked, a thoughtful look on her face. "I believe it's real."

"Can you see now?" Gaimon continued. "One Piece is only a dream inside a dream."

"Is that so?" Luffy asked as he swung his legs back and forth, seated atop a rock. "I think that there's a better ending, right?"

"Or perhaps it's not the ending that really matters." She added in. "Maybe it's the adventures that will happen on the way."

"If a person really found such a treasure, he wouldn't tell anybody!" Nami protests, shaking her head. "That's what a smart person would do!"

"I'll surely find the treasure!" Luffy replied, brushing off the comments. "I'm always lucky!"

"I just can't understand where you get such confidence." Nami replied in irritation.

"Now I will tell you why I can't leave the island!" Gaimon interjected as he once again caught their interest. "It's because I'm not mature! I don't know how to adapt to the change in situations!"

Gaimon then began to tell them the events that took place twenty years ago and resulted in him being trapped not only in the chest, but on the island as well. His crew had found a treasure map that had led to this island. They had spent three weeks scouring the island but when they found nothing but empty chests, they had decided to pack up and leave. However, there was one part no one had checked and just as his crew was leaving, Gaimon had decided to climb up and see. On top of that small rock structure, there was a number of treasure chests. In his excitement at the discovery, he had fallen and landed in the chest, getting left behind by his crew.

She had always thought of his story to be quite sad. His crew, the people who he spent all of his time with, had sailed off and left him deserted on the island. Perhaps they hadn't done it intentionally and it had been an honest mistake. Whatever happened though didn't change the fact that it was just sad.

"No one came to this island in the past twenty years?" Luffy questioned as he looked at Gaimon.

"Yes! People came… There were many times." He replied as he tightly gripped his gun. "They were all pirates looking for the treasure but I used the Forest Judgment to scare them all away!"

Nora listened as he told them how he was sure that he had seen treasure up there and that his eyes were never wrong and how he'd been stuck the chest and was unable to protect the treasure that was rightfully his. The treasure that she knew wasn't actually there. Despite the sadness of this, she knew that over the past twenty years he had found a different sort of treasure. The island had become his treasure.

"That's right!" Luffy said with a nod as if he had made up his mind. "Those are yours uncle!"

"Okay Gaimon!" Nami said as she clenched her fist in determination. "We'll help you find those treasures!"

"That sounds like the right thing to do." Nora added with a small smile.

"What? Is that true? That's very nice!" Gaimon said as he joy overtook his features. "I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"

"Aren't you a professionally thief that steals treasure from pirates?" Luffy asked as he turned to Nami in confusion.

"I remember her mentioning that as well." She added as she grinned at the navigator.

"Don't speak nonsense!" Nami yelled at the pair of them. "I have principles to!"

With that, the four of them made their way back into the forest, heading for the rock that held the empty treasure chests. They had been on the island for quite some time now and Zoro was yet to awaken. He was still on the boat, snoozing away, something she couldn't help but find funny. So many things were happening and he was managing to sleep through them all. Along their trip through the forest, Zoro missed out on even more things as they passed more of the strange creatures. She really needed to get some photos of them and Gaimon before they left the island.

"This is it. It's been a long time…" Gaimon said, staring up at the rock structure that stood before them. "Since the last time I came here."

"But why haven't you asked anyone for help before?" Luffy asked in confusion with his hands in his pockets.

"Because I don't trust anybody! And anyone who sees me like this wouldn't believe me anyway." He replied. "I've waited for this moment for so long! Today is the happiest day of my life!"

As he said that, Nora felt a similar feeling to when she saw Chou-Chou's pet store get burned down. Witnessing people losing their treasures, whether it was because they were destroyed or never truly existed in the first place, made her feel awful. Gaimon's story wouldn't end in a particularly sad way but that didn't really comfort her.

"Okay go for it." Nami said as she placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder and look upwards.

"You want me to go up there?" Was his confuse response.

"Of course!" Nami yelled as she shook her head. "Do you think I can climb up there?"

"What about Nora?" Was his next question.

"Not happening." She replied almost instantly. "I'd fall and die."

"I'm counting on you straw-hat kid!" Gaimon said as he began to grow more and more excited at the thought of finally being able to get his treasure.

With a nod, Luffy stretched his arm upwards, taking a hold of the edge and flung himself upwards. Gaimon, Nami and even Nora couldn't helped but be amazed at the sight. She was sure that no matter how many times she saw it, it would still amaze her. He landed on the structure and then walked towards the centre, where the, what she knew to be empty, treasure chests were. Seconds later, he appeared with a treasure chest tucked underneath his arm.

"There really are some treasure chests up here!" Luffy shouted down to them. "There are five of them!"

That's great! Drop them here!" Gaimon shouted back in pure joy with a laugh that practically oozed happiness. "But don't hit me!"

"No way!" Luffy replied with a grin down. A grin, that even from the distance between them, she could tell was fake and strained.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nami yelled with a horrified look, Gaimon looking on in shock. "Stop joking around and drop the treasure chests, now! Hurry up and drop them to me!"

"I don't wanna do that!" He yelled back.

"Forget about it!" Gaimon cut Nami off as she began to yell at Luffy. "It's okay if he doesn't want to drop them here."

"How can that be okay?" Nami yelled in confusion with an incredulous stare. "That's your treasure!"

"Luffy really is to kind…" Nora said with a sad smile as she shook her head, making Nami turn to her in confusion.

"Straw-Hat Kid… You…" Gaimon struggled to speak, looking up with tears in his eyes. "You are a good person."

"What?!" Nami whipped her head between Gaimon and Nora. "What are you two saying?"

"Actually… I've thought about it before… It might be a possibility. But I always try hard not to think about it." Gaimon said, beginning to cry while Luffy sat down on top of the structure with a defeated look on his face. "The treasure chests are empty, aren't they?"

Seeing Gaimon look so sad and breaking down made her once again for defeated and sad herself. This had been his treasure, something he had spent the last twenty years thinking about. Because of these empty chests, he'd been left behind by his crew, isolated and stuck in a treasure chest. _One Piece_ truly did know how to tug on her heartstrings.

"Fate can be quite harsh." Nora said as she looked up at Luffy. "Really harsh actually."

"They're all empty!" Nami said as a look of sadness took over her face as well.

"The treasure in the map actually did exist…" Gaimon spoke as he tried to control his tears and sadness. "But by the time we found the map, the treasure had already been taken by other people…"

"How can that be… The treasure you guarded for twenty years…" Nami spoke in her state of shock. "...Is just a bunch of empty chests."

It was then that she heard one of Luffy's laughs echo from the top of the rocks and across the forest.

"Don't be so disappointed Uncle. You meeting us after these twenty years is a good thing to!" He said, grinning down at them. '"Cause if it had been thirty years you might've already been dead!"

Nora grinned back at the boy as Nami and Gaimon watched him with a looks of shock and happiness. It was like her emotions were doing flips. One second she felt like crying and as if she was defeated, the next, she was grinning along with Luffy in happiness. It was strange but she didn't hate it.

"Don't worry! There is still the great treasure One Piece waiting for us!" Luffy said in his excitement. "Will you join us Uncle?"

"You... You… You're inviting me?" Gaimon asked in shock, thinking the offer over before shaking his head. "I'm sorry but I can't."

Nora had half the mind to expect Luffy to bother and pester him about joining (just as he was doing to her, except he didn't. As they walked back through the forest, passing the strange creatures, she could tell that Luffy understood. He knew that after the twenty years spent on this island, Gaimon had found himself a different treasure. One that he wouldn't be leaving behind.

"Uncle…" Luffy said as they stood back on the shore. "Are you really going to stay on this island?"

As the trio began to talk, Nora, having heard and read this all before, decided to use this opportunity to take some photos of the creatures. She had managed to use a fair amount of her film already but she couldn't bring herself to care. All the pictures she had taken were ones she would cherish. She took a group photo of the ones that had lined up and then took an individual photo of the poodle duck, panda bat and fox rooster. She was sure that she would look back at these one day and be filled with happy memories.

"You're a rare and precious animal too, Uncle." Luffy said as she wandered back over to the group. Hearing the words that had given that chapter it's name made her snicker slightly.

"I agree." She said with a grin. "A human treasure chest."

"I'm gonna kill you!" Gaimon yelled at and both hers and Luffy's statements before speaking again. "Now that there are no more treasures, I feel somewhat relieved. I can now live in this island more comfortably!"

"It's too bad." Luffy said to Gaimon. "You're an interesting person Uncle!"

"I'm sure you'll find good companions for your crew!" Gaimon said as they made their way back to the boats and a _still_ sleeping Zoro. "And also find the One Piece, then buy the whole world!"

"That's right!" Luffy replied as he jumped onto the boat. "I can do it!"

Nora knew that that statement was true.

As they began to drift away from the island, she did as she had done on every other island and took out her camera, taking a photo of Gaimon and the rare and precious creatures who watched them debark. There may have been no real dock but the photo was still a good one. It was another memory for her to treasure.

Now it was time to go and meet Usopp and the Going Merry.

* * *

 **Another chapter! This time it was Gaimon's arc! Sorry if the chapters a bit shorter than usual. Since this is only one chapter in the manga, I wanted to have it as one chapter in my book. I had thought about including the start of the next arc but I chose not to.**

 **Also, apologies if this isn't the most interesting chapter. There wasn't to much for me to have Nora do other than add in a few remarks and share some her thoughts. I hope that it have you a bit more of an insight into her character?**

 **I would like to thank you all for 38 follows and 23 follows! This stories only been up for just under two weeks so that's honestly amazing! Also thank you to everyone who's left a comment! Reading them just makes me so happy and also manages to motivate me to write.**

 **Comment any of your thoughts/theories on Nora! I'm super intrigued to know what you guys are thinking so far! Also favourite or follow so you can know when I update?**

 **I'll see all you lovely people next time! Ciao :)**


	5. Scarred

**As always there is a longer authors note at the end of this chapter for you to read! Anyway hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

* * *

The Misadventures of Nora

Chapter 5

Scarred

* * *

"That was fun wasn't it?" Luffy asked Nora, Gaimon's island now long gone in the distance.

"It was." She managed to get out as she attempted to push through the seasickness and write the day's events in her journal. "Zoro missed out by sleeping through it."

"I'm surprised you haven't thrown up yet." Nami said as she watched the other girl write furiously in her journal. "Maybe you are fit to be a pirate."

"Don't make me think about it." Nora groaned as she felt the queasiness beginning to rise. "And how many times do I have to say I'm not a pirate?"

"Yes you are." Luffy said as he shuffled around in his spot. "You're my writer."

"I refuse."

"I refuse your refusal."

At this comment, Nora stared blankly at him. She knew that not to far into the future, he would say the exact same thing to Sanji. But eventually he had been willing to let the cook decide for himself and had stopped bugging him. For some reason he hadn't done that to Nora just yet. He was still adamant about her joining his crew. Why? Well she wished she had the answer to that question. She simply didn't have any amazing skills or redeeming qualities. Overall, she was average and more so than ever in the world of _One Piece_. As she thought of this, her mind went back to her own home. Over the past few days, she hadn't really spent anytime thinking about it. Truth be told, she didn't really miss it. She was a bit bothered about not being able to finish her studies. All those years of schooling and she finally makes it into university only to die after a year! At least she didn't have to deal with the debt now that she was dead… Then again her father would have no problem paying it off.

Speaking of her family, she couldn't help but wonder about her funeral. Also who would get all of her things? It wasn't like she had written a will. She was only eighteen. She hoped everything went to her dog, or perhaps the old lady who had lived next door, she had been a sweet woman. Another thing she couldn't help but wander about was what they would say on the news. She had no doubt that they would report it, even if her father hadn't been who he was they would have spread around headlines reading '18 year old girl dies in horror drunk driving accident!' Since it had been a drunk driving accident, she wondered what had happened to the man who had hit her. Had he gone to jail? Was he serving time? Did he feel guilty? Perhaps he had run away or managed to have the charges dropped. People managed to get away with awful things.

The only reminder that she had of her home was the contents of her bag and the clothes on her back. Clothes that she hadn't had a chance to change out of in days. She hadn't even had the chance to bathe! Between being seasick and running from island to island, she just hadn't had a shower or a bath. She felt absolutely disgusting. Her only saviour had been the deodorant that she kept in her bag. It was a shame that that didn't stop her hair from going greasy… She knew that Syrup Village was by no means a big town but they would surely have a clothing store. She'd need to get some money from Nami, something she knew would not be an easy task, and then go and purchase some clothes. If for some reason they didn't have a clothing store, she could wait until the events played out and then borrow some from Kaya.

She smiled slightly at the thought of the girl. She could spend her time with Kaya and the three young boys. It would be a peaceful life and together they'd be able to watch the Straw Hat crew grow. She wasn't used to living in small and peaceful towns but she would make do. She'd have plenty of silent time to write her story.

Although there was a small part of her that wanted to stay just a bit longer. She had always wanted to go to Alabasta and the Sabaody Archipelago had always fascinated her. Probably because of how many amazing characters had been introduced during that arc, even if it had been sad. They had introduced not only The Worst Generation but Silvers Rayleigh as well. The first mate of the _Pirate King_.

"We need to plan things more!" Nami said, breaking her from her thoughts. Upon Luffy questioning what she meant, she spoke again. "Are we going to the Grand Line like _this_?"

"Oh! That's right. Although Uncle Cabbage gave us plenty of fruit," Luffy began with a nod of agreement. "We don't have any meat on this ship!"

"I'm not talking about the food supplies!" Nami yelled back in response.

"We don't have any sake to drink either!" Zoro said as he leant against the ship's edge. "How boring!"

"I think you could also use some music…" Nora added just to annoy Nami while Luffy nodded along with her statement. "It would liven the place up."

"Let's not worry about the problem of food, drinks and music first!" Nami yelled at them. "The place we're going, the Grand Line, is the most dangerous place in the world."

"I'm glad I'm not going then." Nora added with a self assured nod. "I'd definitely die."

"Every pirate in this world wishes to get the treasure there, so we need to get a better ship first!" Nami explained to them, glancing at the small ships they were currently on. "We're also short on crew members and this ship doesn't have any equipment. No matter what you think, we can't possibly be safe!"

"Oh." Luffy said once he had taken in Nami's words. "What do we do then?"

"We have to prepare first and plan for the journeys ahead." Nami explained as she took out a map of the East Blue. "There's a village due north. We should go there. First thing to do when we get there is look for a better ship."

"And eat some meat!" No prizes for guessing who yelled that out.

"I'm gonna look for a house. Also I need some new clothes." Nora said as she began to picture the quaint town that was Syrup Village. She then suddenly felt her stomach lurch and she paled slightly. "But first I'm going to puke."

As she threw her head overboard she could hear the laughter of Luffy and Zoro and a sigh coming from Nami. She really could not wait to get off of this boat.

* * *

"We're finally back on land." Nora all but cried in joy as she placed her wobbly legs onto the shore. "I'm free of the horrible torture that is sailing!"

They had once again docked on an island and this time it was actually Usopp's island. She couldn't remember it's name for the life of her but at least she knew Syrup Village. She had never felt so much joy as she had in the moment that she spotted the island. Something that was quite strange really. She had felt joy as her head was sticking over the edge of the boat and she was puking. She had never thought that that would be something she would do. Sometimes things just happen though.

"Wow there's really an island here." Luffy exclaimed from behind her as he hopped off the boat, Zoro close behind.

"So what did you expect?" Nami said from in front of her, having made her way further from the boats. "We followed the map so it won't be wrong!"

"Is there a village here?" Luffy asked as he pointed to a trail that was just up the slope.

"Uh huh." Nami confirmed. "Looks like there's a small village."

"Hopefully we don't run into any trouble on this island." Nora said, despite knowing that she couldn't be any further from the truth. "I want to stay here."

"But you can't do that." Luffy said to her as he pouted. "Pirates don't stay on one island."

"I'm not a pirate though." She replied, sticking her tongue out at him. "I can do what I want."

"Been a long time since I last stood on firm ground." Said a stretching Zoro, letting out a loud yawn.

"That's because you were sleeping all the time." His captain replied with a hand on his hat.

"Yeah." She nodded in agreement. "You completely missed all of the weird animals and Gaimon! He was a treasure chest person!"

"Careful." Zoro spoke, ignoring both her and Luffy and preparing to unsheath his swords. "Someone's here."

Nora watched on in amusement as Luffy began jumping around, looking for the someone that Zoro was talking about. Her grin only grew when he began to jump around as pellets were shot at his feet. She made sure to hide behind Zoro because she did not want to get hit by one of them. She wasn't made of rubber like Luffy. As Nami ran back to take cover near the ship, a number of pirate flags popped up from the bushes.

"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed as he began to jump around in excitement this time. "This is awesome!"

"This isn't the time to be in awe!" Nami said from her hiding spot behind the ship.

It was then that they heard laughter. Laughter that she knew belonged to Usopp. She couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the look on the sharpshooters face. When he turned to face them, acting all brave and mighty, she decided to take out her camera and capture and picture of the meeting between Luffy and another one of his crewmates. It would be a good memory.

"I am the great pirate fleet leader Usopp who is in charge of the security of this village!" He yelled out, keeping up his facade as she quickly snapped a picture. "I'm also known as Captain. Captain Usopp!"

As he said this, she realised that this hadn't been how things had gone in the manga. This was how the meeting between Luffy and Usopp had gone in the anime! That didn't make sense though… Gaimon's island had followed the manga's timeline and events. Then again, she didn't really want to think about it too much. This _had_ been one of her favourite old school _One Piece_ moments.

"It's best if you don't try to attack this village," He said with his arms crossed and nose in the air. "Because my eighty million men are not going to forgive you!"

"Incredible!" Luffy yelled in absolute awe and amazement as Nami shook her head at him and Zoro stared at him with an absolutely dumbfounded look while she laughed.

"You're lying right?" Nami said with a smirk as she stared up at him.

"Definitely a lie." Nora nodded in agreement, her laughter increasing at the terrified look on his face as he muttered about them seeing through the lie. " _Definitely_."

"You saw through it!" Usopp cried as he squirmed in fear. "This is bad."

"What!" Luffy said as he looked between her and Nami. "He was lying?!"

Damn you!" Usopp yelled as he got back into his zone. "Eighty million might be an exageration but I have many strong and powerful companions!"

"All three of them?" The navigator said as she side eyed them.

"She found out!" Usopp's younger friends, or as she remembered them, the vegetable trio yelled out in fear. "Ru… Run!"

She laughed at the look on Usopp's face as his friends ran away and he was left standing alone. Facing what could have potentially been a group of fearsome and ruthless pirates. While that wasn't actually the case, that was how he saw it.

"A pirate that uses pachinko… I've never heard of such a thing." Nami said with a small smile as she picked up some of the pellets from the sand. "That's almost as strange as a pirate that gets seasick."

"Not a pirate."

"You're quite an interesting fellow!" Luffy said as his laughter echoed around the shore.

"Hey you! Don't laugh at me! I'm a man of great pride!" Usopp yelled out in anger, his courage reappearing as he reached into his bag and aimed his pachinko at them. "Because of my great pride, everyone calls me Usopp the Proud! As you saw earlier, my skill with the pachinko is better than a pistol."

"Now that you've drawn your pistol…" Luffy said in a serious tone, his hand on his straw hat as it covered his eyes. "Bet your life on it. It's not a tool to scare people."

A small grin made it's way onto her face. She was glad this was happening. Seeing Luffy hold Shanks' actions and words as such an important thing made her happy. Seeing Zoro immediately go to back him up made her even happier.

"This person who stands before you…" Zoro said with a smirk, pushing his sword out ever so slightly. "Is a real pirate."

"He's dangerous." Nora said as she smiled up at Usopp. "I'd be careful if I were you!"

"As I thought." Usopp said as he fell to the ground after dropping his pachinko. "A true pirates speech is much more intimidating. Incredible."

At this, a smile made it's way on their faces as they began to laugh. Usopp watched in confusion as the tense atmosphere suddenly broke. Nora couldn't help but laugh even more at his confusion.

"I just repeated what someone said." Luffy said with a grin as he glanced up to the sniper. "The pirate I deeply respect, Shanks."

"Sh-Shanks you say?" Usopp said in shock. "The red haired Shanks? You know that great pirate?"

"Yeah." Luffy confirmed. "Yasopp isn't it? Your father's name."

At the mention of his father, Usopp's eyes grew wide as he fell over the edge of the cliff. Nora shook her head at this. In her world, that would have resulted in a number of broken bones. Physics and normal human structure didn't seem to apply. But then again, how could she be surprised as there was a person made of rubber standing next to her?

"It's true that Yasopp's my dad's name…" Usopp said as he sat up. "But how do you know this?"

* * *

Usopp had taken them to a restaurant in the town and they were now all chowing down on the amazing food. As Nora took a bite of the meat, she let out a contempt sigh. Between the seasickness and forgetting to get proper food supplies on the other islands, this had been her first real meal since she had died. If it could even be considered dying that it…

"Pretty good isn't it?" Usopp said around his mouth full of food as he shovelled in even more.

"I met him when I was young." Luffy said with his own mouth full of food.

She watched the two converse as they talked about Shanks and Yasopp with proud grins on their faces. She felt a small smile of her own come onto her face. They would make good crewmates and good friends. Even after such a short time they were able to get along so well. Her grin only grew as she let out a laugh at the story Luffy told them. The Red Hair Pirates truly did sound like a fun group and despite having left, she could see that Yasopp did care for his son.

"Usopp I've heard the story about you time and time again that my ears almost fell off." Luffy said with a fond look in his eyes while Zoro gulped down his drink. "Yasopp is a great pirate!"

"Exactly what I thought!" Usopp exclaimed with the look of pride still on his face. "To disregard his own life and indulge himself in the vast and endless sea… I feel so proud of my father."

While Nora had no doubt that Yasopp did care about Usopp, she couldn't help but find his actions to say something different. She knew that Shanks' crew had visited the East Blue an endless number of times so why hadn't they stopped in to visit Usopp? His mother was dying and he was all alone yet his father didn't come and visit. It didn't sit to well with her and despite Usopp's obvious pride, she couldn't help but feel sad.

"This makes our discussion much easier." Nami said from besides Usopp with a smile. "Hey! Is there anyone who can sail a ship or acquire a large ship in this village?"

"As you can see, this village is pretty small." Usopp explained with a small sigh and a look that practically screamed it was a lie. "I'm very sorry but there is no way to fulfill your request."

"On top of the hill…" Zoro said, at this, Usopp gulped slightly. "There was a very large mansion."

"I noticed it to." Nora said as she took a bite of an apple. As an afterthought she muttered to herself. "Kinda reminded me of my place…"

"Hey do you know them!" Nami said with a suddenly hopeful look on her face. She could almost see dollar signs forming in her eyes. "I wonder if we can ask them to give us a little financial support."

"You can't go there! I… I suddenly remembered that I still have to do something." Usopp yelled out, catching their attention. Upon realising what he'd done, he glanced away and came up with another lie. "I know the owner of this shop quite well so just go ahead and order anything you want. I'll be on my way then!"

"What's going on?" Nami asked as she watched the boy suddenly grab his things and leave. "In such a hurry."

"He said he had something to do." Nora said as she smiled around a mouthful of food. "Speaking of which, I do to."

* * *

Convincing Nami to lend her some money had been an extremely difficult task. After quite some time debating whether or not Nora _really_ needed the money to buy some clothes, she gave in when Nora reminded her how many times she had thrown up while wearing these clothes. So now, with the beri in hand, she was wandering the streets of this small town and just hoping that there was some sort of clothing store. On the way, she had passed the vegetable trio who had hidden behind a barrel when they noticed her. She decided to let them have their fun and just left them be. Right now she more important things to do.

As she glanced around at the few shops, she finally spotted a clothing store. It was a fairly small and quaint little store but she was sure it would have something for her to wear. She only needed an outfit or two for now. She could get some more when she found a house and a job. She was just glad that she would _finally_ be able to get out of these clothes. After this she'd need to find somewhere to take a bath because she felt absolutely disgusting. Not being able to properly bathe was another reason for her not to become a pirate.

Walking into the small shop she greeted the owner, an older woman who was small and quaint, just like her store. She began to look around the shop and was relieved to see that they had all sorts of clothing. Nothing _overly_ fancy but there was clothing that she would be comfortable in.

"I haven't seen you around town before." The woman said from behind her counter with a gentle smile. "A traveller perhaps?"

"I am new on this island but I'm actually hoping to stay here." Nora replied with a gentle smile of her own. "It's quite a peaceful town. The perfect place for settling down."

"You're far too young to settle down!" The owner replied with a bellowing laugh as she stood from her seat. "Here, let me help you find some clothing."

"That would be lovely." She replied with a grin. "There's so many different clothes that I wouldn't know where to start."

Nora watched as the woman shuffled around the store, piling clothes into her arms. The sheer amount of clothing that such a small shop had truly amazed her. There was dresses, shirts, tank tops, shorts, pants and even a multitude of accessories. She was able to see ties, shoes, belts and even jewelry. Then again, it did make sense for all of these things to be in one store considering how small this village was. It was the one stop clothing shop she guessed. Whatever you may have happened to need, you'd find it here.

"The changing room is just over there." The woman told her, passing a pile of clothes into her arms. "I apologise that there's so many. It's been far too long since I've had a new face to dress up."

"No it's fine!" Nora assured with a thankful grin. "I've never been very good at shopping for myself so I really appreciate the help."

Stepping into the change rooms that the owner had pointed out to her, she placed the pile of clothing down onto the ledge in the room as neatly as she could. A difficult task considering just how many clothes the woman had managed to pick out for her in such a short time. She just hoped that some of the fit.

Taking off her shirt, she prepared to try on one of the tank tops that she had been given but she froze. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, her jaw dropped at what she was seeing. Wrapped around her body, from the centre of her stomach and travelling around to her back was a massive scar. All but ripping her pants off, she was able to see that it wrapped around her thighs as well. As she stared at it, spinning around in the mirror in horror, she realised the scar must have been from the car that had hit her. As she craned her neck to see the scars on her back, she realised why it had so damn much. The majority of the scars on her back, sans for the ones that wrapped around from the front, were the exit points. The car had _pierced_ through her body. This one hundred percent confirmed that she had died. No one would have survived that.

The thought of having scars from the crash had never really crossed her mind. Maybe it was because she had never read any story, or fanfiction, where they had gotten scars from whatever it was that had made them die and travel into a different universe. To think that the scarring was this bad…

"Is everything okay in there?" The owner asked from the other side of the door, snapping Nora from her dazed shock.

"Y-Yeah!" Nora shakily called back. "I'm just going through them now."

"Okay, let me know which ones you like."

Shaking her head, she decided that she could think about this another time, when she wasn't in the middle of buying clothes. She would just have to ignore it. A task that was much easier said than done. Each time she pulled on an article of clothing she would see the scars in the mirror, making her flinch. Shaking her head, Nora turned to look at the mirror, now fully dressed with _almost_ all of the scarring covered up. She was dressed in a pair of black pants that ended just below her knees, with a loose white cropped blouse with reddish trimming and strings crossing at the the top. She actually really liked the outfit, the only problem was the scarring that could be seen from the cropped top.

"Excuse me?" Nora called out as she stuck her head out of the change room.

"What's wrong darling? Let me have a look at the outfit." The woman replied as she teetered over while she stepped from the change room. She scanned the outfit and smiled in approval. "It fits you perfectly and looks lovely!"

"I do really like it." Nora said with a smile that quickly morphed into a frown. "I was just wondering if there was a shirt that wasn't cropped."

"Give me a second." She replied, hobbling off to one of the racks. Moments later she came back with a sash, matching the trimming of the shirt in her hands. "Give this a try."

"Thank you." She said as she took the sash and tied it around her waist.

Quickly stepping back into the change room to take a glance she could see that there was still some of the scarring visible but no more than a slither. She really did like this outfit… It was flexible and loose but at the same time, she felt that she looked quite nice in it. With a nod to herself, she decided she would buy it. There was nothing she could do about the scarring anyway. Picking up her cargo jacket, top and jeans from before and one of the other outfits she had liked, a loose and flowy red dress, she stepped out of the change rooms.

"That outfit really does suit you. Seeing people look so lovely in my clothes makes me very happy." The owner said with a smile, she then let out a sudden laugh. "You almost look like a pirate!"

"Well I can assure you that I'm no pirate." Nora replied with a small smile. "How much would this and the dress cost? And is it okay if I keep this on?"

"Of course! That will cost eight thousand beri dear." The woman said as they made their way back over to the counter. Upon hearing this, she let out a sigh of relief. Nami had given her ten thousand beri. She placed the clothing down onto the counter and then handed the woman the money. "Just let me put these away."

"Thank you." She replied, taking the bag that now had her old outfit and the dress she'd just bought in it. "I really appreciate your help."

"It's no problem at all! I'm glad to see people wearing my clothes." She replied with a pat on her hand. "Now remember, you're still young. You don't need to settle down."

With one last smile, she walked out of the shop with her new clothing in hand. Now she would need to find where Luffy and others had gone. She'd like to spend _some_ time with them before they left the island.

* * *

"What's this I hear about a weird guy?" Nora questioned when she finally managed to find the others.

That weird Jango guy will be showing up any moment now. She thought as she glanced at the panicking onion boy. He ends up getting captured and becoming a marine doesn't he…?

"There's a weird guy!" Tamanegi shouted at his friends. "He walks backwards!"

"I feel like I've missed something important." She said, glancing around the group even though she knew exactly what had happened.

"We'll fill you in soon." Nami said as she intently down the dirt path, looking for this supposed weird guy.

"Look!" Tamanegi yelled when the hypnotist finally came into view, walking backwards.

"Hey! Who said I'm a weird guy?" Jango asked as he stood before them, striking a post that reminded Nora of Michael Jackson. "I don't look weird at all!"

"Yes you are!" Nami said from her perch on the fence. "Any way I look at it, you look weird!"

"Undeniably weird." Nora added with a nod. "What's with the weird goatee?"

"Shut up! I'm just a hypnotist passing by!" He yelled before his hand went up to defensively stroke his goatee. "And my goatee isn't weird!"

"Hypnotist? Wow!"

"Can you show us your skills?"

"Yeah! Show us!"

The vegetable trio chimed in, amazed at his statement. Nora on the other hand was not impressed.

"The goatee is stupid." She said as she stuck out her tongue. "Is it even real? It looks like you glued it on…"

"Oi! This goatee is real!" He yelled out in anger before turning to the three children. "Idiots. You guys don't even understand what a hypnotist is! Okay guys stare at this."

"You're showing them anyway!" Zoro said in exasperation as Jango pulled out his circular hypnotising pendulum.

"I'll say "One, two, Jango" and you will all fall asleep!" He told them as he began to gently sway the ring. "Let's start! One… Two… Jango!"

"Hey!" Zoro yelled out as the not only the vegetable trio, but Jango as well, collapsed to the floor. "What the hell is he doing?"

"Ah. He fell asleep as fell." Nora said as she began to giggle quietly. Quickly taking out her camera, she snapped a photo of the four that were passed out on the ground. "How funny."

When Jango finally came to, he got and one again walked away from them backwards, not doubt to go and have his meeting with Captain Kuro. She just hoped that Usopp and Luffy would be okay.

"That guy was weird." Nami said as they watched him leave, the vegetable trio slowly waking up. "I wonder who he is."

"I don't trust him." Nora said with a frown as she thought of the events that would soon take place. "We should be careful."

"I see you managed to find a new outfit." Nami said as she dismissed the strange hypnotist and took a good look at the new outfit. "It looks good. At least my money was put to good use."

"You look like a pirate." Zoro said with a nod of approval.

"Are you a pirate as well?" Ninjin, the carrot lookalike, said as he turned to look at her.

"Do you eat people?" Asked Piiman, the capsicum boy.

"Don't say that!" Tamenagi said as he hit his friend over the head before turning to her. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Nora said with a laugh as she ruffled his hair. "I'm not a pirate. I'm actually thinking of staying on this island."

Before anyone had the chance to respond, they heard the sound of pounding footsteps and heavy breathing. Glancing up, she was able to see Usopp running in their direction. He sprinted past them, not taking a second glance at them and ran towards the town. She felt a twinge of sadness, the same one she'd been feeling quite a lot over these last few days, when she remembered that no one in the town would believe him. He was just the boy who cried wolf.

"Ah!" The Usopp Pirates yelled out in unison. "That's the captain!"

"Wasn't Luffy with him?" Zoro asked with his arms crossed, watching the boy sprint away.

"Is he still mad at the butler for looking down on his dad?" Nami asked as she hopped down from the fence to get a better look at him as he ran into the village.

"Who knows." Zoro said as they watched him disappear into the distance.

"I wonder if something bad happened." Nora mused as she leant against the fence between the two pirates. "He looked quite shaken up. I hope your captain's okay."

"No! His expression is different!" Yelled Ninjin, a worried look on his face.

"Something must have happened at the shore!" Piiman said in agreement with his friend.

"He's panicking! What happened?" Tamenagi sad as he began to fret.

"Hey kids." Zoro said, now alert and concerned for his captain. "How do I get to the shore?"

"I think something big has happened!" Ninjin said to them with clenched fists.

"Right!" Piiman nodded in agreement. "That hypnotist went that way too a while ago."

"Usopp's Pirate group is moving!" Tamenagi yelled out.

"Are you guys done?" Zoro asked, growing impatient. "How do I get there?"

"Let them have their fun." Nora said as she slapped his shoulder lightly. "Luffy will be okay."

* * *

When the vegetable trio finally finished freaking out, they led them to the edge of the island and the cliff that Usopp had been at not to long ago. Glancing around, Nora tried to locate Luffy but so far she wasn't able to see anything.

"This is it." The vegetable trio explained. "Captain's always here to heal his wounded heart. It feels really good being here."

"That straw hat guy isn't here." Piiman said in concern as he glanced around.

"He couldn't have gone to far." Nora said with a laugh. "Perhaps he fell of the edge."

"This place is pretty steep." Nami said as she glanced over the edge of the cliff, Nora quickly following to try and see if she could catch a glance of the straw hatted captain.

"Nami, Nora." Zoro said as he glanced at them cautiously. "Be careful there."

"Will do!" Nora replied with a smile and a thumbs up making the swordsman roll his eyes.

"Found him." She said when she noticed Nami let out a small gasp.

Beneath the cliff was Luffy and although she knew he was just asleep, he did actually look like he was dead. If she hadn't know any better, she would have been running around in horror at the sight. He was all but crushed into the pavement with his neck bent at an impossible angle. He was damn lucky that he was made of rubber.

"Lo-Look!" Nami gasped in shock as she pointed to the body. "Over there!"

"That looks pretty painful." Nora said as everyone freaked out over the site below the cliff. "Shall we go down and make sure he's still alive?"

Just as she had suggested, the group made their way down the cliff. While she wasn't exactly afraid of heights, walking down narrow paths high in the air wasn't exactly her idea of fun. Half way down the cliff side and almost a million falls off the edge later; Nora managed to convince Zoro to give her a piggyback ride down to the bottom. Her reasoning had been that she didn't want to fall and end up like Luffy was below them. As she was being carried down, she couldn't help but appreciate the view. She could understand why it was that Usopp came here so often. The sea looked absolutely beautiful with the sun reflecting on the gentle waves. She could see herself coming here to sit and write.

"Thanks for the lift." She said as she hopped off the swordsman's back and went to get a closer look at the rubber man.

"Luffy!" Nami gasped out when they finally managed to reach the ground. "Why are you here…?"

"He fell!"

"And died upon impact!"

"That's why captain was…"

"Hey now." She said as she lightly flicked the three children on the forehead. "Don't jump to conclusions so quickly."

"Quiet." Zoro suddenly said, taking a step towards his captain.

In the silence, the crashing of the waves could be heard along with sounds of birds chirping. Within the sounds of nature however, there was another sound that she could hear. One that wasn't quite as peaceful or relaxing. She could hear snoring. Luffy's snoring.

"This guy." Zoro said with a small chuckle, beginning to poke his sleeping captain with his sword.

"Trust Luffy to fall asleep and then fall off of a cliff." Nora said with a laugh of her own as she began to gently nudge his side.

Upon noticing movement coming from the boy, Nami, Ninjin, Piiman and Tamenagi jumped back in shock as they let out a scream. She laughed slightly at this when she realised they probably thought that Luffy had just come back from the dead or something.

"Mornin'." Luffy said as he stretched and let out a loud yawn, making Nora shake her head ever so slightly. "Hmmm. Nora did you change clothes? You look like a pirate."

"I bought them earlier." She replied with a nod, choosing to ignore the pirate comment..

"Luffy!" Nami exclaimed, hitting him across the head. "What the hell happened?"

He had to think about the question for a while, a frown on his face as he did his best to remember what exactly had transpired before he had fallen asleep. When he finally did remember, his story had everyone but her in shock. He told them about Captain Kuro, Kaya's butler, and the weird hypnotist plan to assassinate her and take her inheritance. She felt her fists clench slightly as she listened in. She could not _wait_ for Luffy to kick his ass.

"Oh my god!"

"They're going to kill Kaya?"

"The village is gonna be attacked? Is that true Straw Hat?!"

The Usopp Pirate group yelled out in horror once Luffy had fully finished his explanations.

"Yep. That's what the guy said." He replied with a firm nod. "There's no doubt about it."

"Oh yeah." Zoro said as he glanced at his captain. "Why were you sleeping there anyway?"

"Hmmm…" Luffy hummed, tilting his head in thought. "I remember I was on top of the cliff…"

"I told you he fell." Nora said with a laugh as Luffy continued to think hard. "He really is lucky to be made of rubber."

"That bastard butler was a bad guy!" She heard Ninjin yell to his friends.

"No wonder he gave me the creeps!" Added Piiman in agreement.

"And that hypnotist was a fake as well!" Yelled Tamenagi in horror.

"So that's why your captain ran to the village in such a hurry to warn them!" Nami said as she smiled down at the three. "Well that's good, you guys are the first to know. You should escape while you can! It'll be too late when the pirates get here!"

Nora let out a small laugh as the three nodded along in agreement, sprinting back the way that they had come. They ran away screaming about needing to hurry and pack their important things. She was glad that they would be safe through all of this. Well the majority of it. There was that incident that took place in the forest later on. She looked up when she heard Luffy let out a gasp of shock.

"What is it now?" Zoro asked as he glanced back at his captain.

"We haven't bought our meat yet!" Luffy yelled in horror. "Even the butcher will soon run away!"

"Is that really what you should be concerned with at the moment?" Nora questioned with a laugh. "Don't we have more important things to worry about?"

"Let's go back to village." Zoro said as he nodded at her statement. "We need to find Usopp."

"And we need to get some meat!" Luffy yelled as he jumped up from the ground.

Nora simply shook her head and followed the Straw Hat Pirates on the last adventure that she would be having with them.

* * *

 **I am so so sorry that this chapter was a few days late! I want to try and update every friday/saturday but sometimes that just doesn't happen and it makes me feel awful. This just ended up taking a bit longer for me to write for some reason. Also sorry if it's not the most interesting chapter. I tried to have a few more scenes of just Nora doing her own thing and what she was thinking.**

 **Speaking of Nora, what do you all think about the scars? Did I do a good job describing them? I wanted her to have it as kind of a reminder to her about what had happened and where she came from. It's also a way of having her not be this flawless character if that makes sense?**

 **Another important note is that if you don't get what I meant when I described her outfit (which wouldn't surprise me because I did an awful job) then the cover image is her new clothes! If you want me to post the image to deviantart so you can get a bigger picture just message me :)**

 **On that note, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to favourite/follow/review and I'll see you all next chapter!**


	6. Cliff Climbing

**Do I even need to tell you guys anymore? Longer author's note at the end! Picture of Nora posted on my DeviantArt ( ThousandSunni)**

* * *

The Misadventures of Nora

Chapter 6

Cliff Climbing

* * *

"And this was supposed to be a peaceful island." Nora said with a listless sigh as the group made their way back up the path. "Hopefully it settles back down."

"You're really planning to stay?" Nami asked as she glanced to her, frowning slightly. "I really can't see you living in a village like this."

"She's been saying she was going to stay on every island." Zoro told Nami with a laugh. "Luffy will manage to make her stay on the ship again."

"No he won't." She said with a shake of her head. "I've told you that I'm just not fit for being a pirate!"

"You sure look like a pirate though." Ninjin said as he glanced back at her.

"A nice one though!" Added Piiman as he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah!" Tamenagi agreed. "You don't look like you'd eat people!"

"...Well thanks for not thinking I'd eat people?" Nora said as she took in their comments. "I think…"

As they continued along the dirt path, they made it closer and closer to the village. In the distance, She could see Usopp's figure and once again, her heart clenched. Why did all of Luffy's crew have to go through so many horrible things? As they got closer, she could see him wiping at his eyes, looking absolutely heartbroken. The only thing that kept her from feeling completely miserable the the thoughts of the fun that he would soon have when he went with Luffy.

"Oi!" Yelled out the vegetable trio as they ran towards him. "Captain Usopp!"

"Hey! Hi everybody!" He said, with a wave as he did his best to look composed. His eyes quickly widened as he cried out in shock as he looked at Luffy. "How can you still be alive?!"

"Still alive?" Luffy said, tilting his head in confusion. "I just woke up."

"He was asleep the whole time." Piiman said before his calm attitude quickly evaporated. "Captain! We heard about the pirates! We've got to warn everyone!'

"Warn everyone?" Usopp said, a look of pain flashing across his face, not doubt remembering his encounter with Kaya. He then let out a loud laugh. "What pirates? Just like all the other times, of course it was a lie! I was just having my revenge on that butler by making stories about him being a pirate!"

 _Even this early on in the story he's quite brave_. Nora thought with a small smile while the others watched on in confusion. Perhaps not in the most conventional way but he does try to do what's right.

She watched as the Usopp Pirate group first looked relieved, talking about how they had first thought it would be something big. Their mood quickly did a flip as they turned to glare at their 'captain'. It seemed that they were disappointed in him for making up lies to hurt other people. She felt sorry for him. He really was just trying to protect everyone but no matter what he did, no one seemed to believe him.

"Let's go home!"

"Yeah! Go home and eat diner!"

"Wonder what's for diner."

And with those words, the vegetable trio walked off, leaving her, Luffy, Zoro, Nami and, of course, Usopp. She walked over to him with a small frown on her face, glancing down at the arm that he was doing his best to hide. The arm that he had been shot in.

"That looks painful." She said as she grabbed his arm and looked at it as the blood ran from the wound. "Nothing too serious but we should probably get something done about it."

"Ah! It's nothing!" Usopp cried out in shock upon his injury being noticed. "And besides, there's more important things I'd like to do right now."

"Let's go somewhere quieter to talk." Zoro said as he grasped his swords. "We need to figure out exactly what's going on."

As the sky began to darken, they made their way back to the shore, at the edge of the cliff and hidden in the rapidly darkening sky. Usopp crouched down, a determined look on his face while Nora sat with her legs crossed on the floor. Luffy, Nami and Zoro stood, waiting to hear what it was that the boy had to say.

"Because I used to lie all the time, no one believes a word I say now!" Usopp finally spoke, breaking the silence that had surrounded them. "Even so… the fact that those pirates are going to attack is still the truth, right?"

 _He's holding up quite well considering he's been shot…_ Nora thought in wonder. _Usopp really doesn't get enough credit._

"They're definitely going to attack in the morning but no one believes me! They all think tomorrow will just be another peaceful day…" He continued telling them, a look of pure determination becoming more visible on his face, he then stood up from his crouch and yelled in determination. "Since everyone thinks that I'm a liar, I'll protect this village myself and prevent the pirates from attacking! In order to protect the village, this will just become one of my lies!"

Luffy, Zoro and Nami watched on in surprise at Usopp's sudden outburst, surprised that that was the conclusion that he had come to to. On the other hand, Nora simply sat there watching, a small smile on her face. She really hadn't appreciate his character as much as she should have. Being here, experiencing what they were experiencing, she was seeing just how brave he truly was. He was willing to go up against pirates that he knew were powerful to protect his village that didn't seem to care. It was truly an amazing moment for her to witness.

"Although they… fired guns at me… and they chased after me with broomsticks… here… in the village where I grew up, I love this village!" Usopp said, showing them his wound as he began to tear up, taking his seat back down onto a rock. "I want to protect everyone… how can I just watch everyone get killed?"

"You are a pretty good guy." Zoro said with a small grin coming onto his face. "You lied to your crew so that you could do this alone."

"Okay!" Luffy declared as he began to stretch in preparation. "I'm definitely going to butt-in this one!"

"But first things first." Nami said with a grin. "All their treasure is mine!"

"I won't be much help." Nora proclaimed from her spot on the ground. "But I would still like to try and help. From a distance though. Where I won't die."

"What do you mean you won't be much help?" Zoro said as he turned to her with a unconvinced stare. "I watched you deck a pirate in the face and almost send him overboard!"

"I was in a bad mood." She said with a slight frown, doing her best to ignore Luffy's excited reaction to that statement. "And it was a small boat. He just lost his footing."

"What…? You guys..." Usopp glanced up with tears in his eyes, finally realising what was being said. "...Are willing to fight with me?! Why...?"

"Because the enemies outnumber you!" Luffy spoke, clenching his fist.

"You have the words 'I'm scared' written all over your face." Zoro followed, a hand resting on his swords.

"It'll give me something interesting to write about." Nora added with a beam. "Besides, I'm planning on staying here so I would like it to be peaceful."

"You're not gonna end up staying here and we all know it." Zoro said with a smirk. "Luffy won't let you."

"Idiots! Me? Scared? So what if they outnumber me!? They can't compete with me!" Usopp yelled out with new found determination, preventing her from denying Zoro's comments. "I'm Captain Usopp! In my veins flows the blood of a courageous warrior!"

Although his brave attitude seemed to stop at his legs. Glancing down, she could see his legs absolutely shaking. He was doing well to hide his fear. If it hadn't been for the shaking, Nora would have thought that he was completely fearless. She laughed slightly at the sight. He was willing to push past his fear to help his village.

"Stop shaking! Stop it! Stop it!" Usopp yelled as he pounded on his shaking legs. "What are you guys looking at!? They're Captain Kuro's fleet! Of course I'm scared! I don't need your sympathy! Go away! Now!"

"We're not sympathising for you!" Zoro said with a serious look on his face. "But rather we're commending you for having courage!"

"To fight for something you care for, even when you're scared, is truly brave." She added with a nod before quietly muttering to herself. "If only I could be that brave…"

"Nora and Zoro are right!" Luffy said through gritted teeth. "Why else would we risk our own lives!"

"You… You guys…" Usopp said with tears once again beginning to well in his eyes. "I'm so touched!"

"Well then." Nora said as she broke the silence. "How are you guys going about all of this?"

"You mean how are we going about this!" Nami yelled as she smacked her across the back of the head. "You're helping!"

"I don't wanna die!" She said back in response as she thought of Kuro and his crew. "That guy's a fearsome pirate!"

"Don't worry!" Luffy said as he grinned at her. "I won't let anyone hurt my crew!"

"I'm not on your crew!" Nora yelled back with a groan. "I'm going to live a nice peaceful life!"

"Not happening." Zoro, Nami and even Usopp said in sync. She simply let out a sigh at this and shook her head. She'd deal with it later.

"Well while you all plan for the attack, I'm going to write some things." She said as she reached into her bag and took out her journal and writing supplies. "Have fun fighting pirates."

And with that, Luffy, Nami, Zoro and Usopp got to work with their planning while Nora began to prepare for her writing. Over the last few days, she hadn't been able to make any proper diary entries. Just little notes so that when she did come back to write, she'd be able to remember what had happened. The seasickness had prevented her from writing anything out properly. Then there was all the photos that she had taken. It was at the point now that she couldn't just shove them in between her journal pages. She'd need to figure out what to do with them.

But for now, she would write.

With her pen in hand, she flipped to the page of her journal that she had been up to before… Well before she had died. Now that she sat there, reading the entry from just hours before that car had hit her, everything just felt so surreal. Deep down, there was still a part of her that thought that she was probably just tripping on drugs. This was all so odd. Maybe she'd end up having some cool backstory… She already had a bad childhood so she was halfway there. Then again, compared to all the flashbacks she had seen from the _One Piece_ world, perhaps hers wasn't that bad.

Shaking those thoughts from her head, she put her pen to the paper and began to recount the day she had woken up on that beach, unsure of what the hell was going on. She continued on like that, noting meeting Luffy and Coby, then all of the events that took place at the marine base and being chased off by mobs of angry people. She smiled softly as she wrote about meeting Nami. Knowing that she was doing this all for her village, to protect those people, made Nora admire her in so many ways. She was such a strong woman. Then there was meeting Buggy. Despite being, well to put it kindly, an _asshole_ , he was on the Pirate King's crew! She had met someone from Gol D. Roger's crew! When that comes to light, she'd be able to brag about it to those around her. She even had the pictures to prove it. And of course, she couldn't forget Gaimon and his strange creatures. That was a more peaceful adventure. Despite having been with them for no more than a week, these memories already made a fond smile come to her face as she recalled them. These memories would be her treasure.

Even the events that had taken place in Syrup Village, only hours ago, made her happy. Luffy, beyond doubt, was able to gain some amazing crewmates. Caring, kind and brave people seemed to natural surround him. In the short amount of time she'd been with the Straw Hats, they had made so many people happy. She was honoured to be able to say she had met Luffy and his crew. To say that she had met the future _Pirate King_ and his crew.

As she wrote down all these events and thoughts, she finally took her pen from the paper and smiled. She had managed to write everything down, to the events that were taking place right in that moment, which, just so happened to be, them admiring their handy work of the oil they had spread on the slope. The slope that she was currently on the opposite side of.

"Okay! We're done! We've sprayed a massive amount of oil here! Now those bastards won't be able to get up this slope!" Usopp said with a proud grin as Nora began to grind her teeth, packing her journal and pens back into her bag. "This is the most effective way to battle them! No matter what, we must guard this slope with our lives!"

"Just don't fall down there yourself!" Nami said with a grin, impressed with his idea. "Or else you're screwed."

"You mean like me?" Nora said as she frowned up at them from the bottom of the slope, directing a small glare at the oil. "Did you forget that I was down here?!"

"Eh?" Luffy said with his head tilted to the side in confusion. "What are you doing down there Nora?"

"The pirates are gonna kill her!" Usopp yelped in shock as he pointed towards her. "You're going to die!"

"Why didn't you say something?!" Nami yelled at her with an accusing point.

"You're an idiot." Zoro said with a laugh as he grinned down at her.

"I was writing." She explained with a small pout, not really concerned as she knew the pirates would be on the other shore. "My friend used to tell me that when I write, a bomb could go off next to me and I wouldn't move."

"Want me to come down and drag you up?" Zoro asked with a small smirk while Luffy laughed at her with that same grin he always had on his face.

"No it's fine." She bluffed, taking Usopp's approach to things with a smirk of her own and a dramatic flip of her hair. "I'll take out all the pirates on my own. You guys can be the backup."

"So cool!" Usopp and Luffy yelled in unision.

"You all stay up there and look after yourselves!" Nora said as she turned her back to them, arms crossed against her chest. "I'll take care of this!"

"Don't worry!" Usopp said as he to crossed his arms across his chest. "I have a lot of confidence in myself!"

"The sun is up!" Luffy said as Nora turned to glance back. "The pirates are going to come soon."

As she glanced back and saw the four standing on the cliff, looking truly ready for battle, she reached into her bag and took a picture, capturing this moment in time. There was just something about the battle-ready looks on their faces that gave her a brief glance into the fearsome and notorious pirate crew she knew they would soon be.

It made her realise how real everything was.

* * *

"Where are they…?" Luffy said as he kicked at the ground some time later. "It's already morning."

"You don't suppose they slept in?" Zoro asked as he glanced around.

"I wish I'd slept in." Nora said with a yawn as she rubbed her eyes. "I'm so tired…"

"Am I just overly sensitive?" Nami asked as she tensed up and listened intently. "I can here "Go!" coming from the north shore…"

"The north?!" Usopp yelled out in terror as he began to sweat.

"I'm positive!" Nami confirmed, both hands now to her ears.

"What's going on?" Zoro yelled as he glanced between Nami and Usopp.

"There's another into the village in the North but…" Usopp said with gritted teeth.

"Don't tell me you got it wrong?!" Luffy said in shock.

"Well there was a fifty-fifty chance of us being at the wrong shore." Nora added in with a slight shrug. "I guess I'll be safe down here. That's a relief."

"They talked about the plan here…" Usopp explained as he began to sweat. "So I thought they'd attack from this side!"

"Hurry!" Luffy frantically yelled. "Which way are they going to attack the village from!?"

"Going in that direction it'll only take three minutes!" He responded with a clenched fist. "The landscape on that side is basically the same as this one! All we have to do is prevent them from coming on top of the slope!"

"Oh no! That's where we docked our ships!" Nami yelled, now in her own panic mode. "My treasure is going to be robbed!"

"I only need twenty seconds to get there!" Luffy said as he took off towards the other shore. Nora laughed slightly at that statement knowing that he would soon be lost and that he wouldn't actually make it in twenty seconds.

"Damn!" Usopp yelled in frustration. "Then our oil trap and preparations are useless!"

"Well you got _me_ stuck down here. It did something." Nora said with a grin. "Oh and look, now it's doing something else."

She watched on in amusement as Nami began to slip down the slope when she ran off to save her treasure. Zoro, being the ever kind crew mate that he was, turned to make sure that the navigator was okay, only to be yanked down and used as a path to get over the oil. And of course, Nora never being one to miss a good photo opportunity, was a able to capture a quick snap of it.

She was beginning to run really low on film… She should have tried to find some on this island...

"Sorry! But my treasure is in danger!" Nami said as she turned back to wave at the now trapped Zoro. "You and Nora can figure out how to get up!"

And with that, she ran off.

"Nami!" Zoro yelled, clenching his teeth and dripping in oil. "I'm going to kill you!"

"So…" She said as they stared up at the oil covered slope. "How are we going to do this?"

"I'm going to try to run up it." He replied with a self assured nod. "Then I'll go kill that navigator!"

Taking back her previous seat, she watched on as he began to try to get up the slope, slipping and sliding as he went. His frustrated yells only amusing her further. He attempted to frantically run up, his arms swinging wildly as his feet kept slipping backwards. The comical sight before her was just something Nora couldn't resist to take a photo of. The future Pirate King's first mate looking like an idiot? That was a priceless photo.

"Damn! I can't get up here!" He bellowed in frustration. "And stop taking pictures of me!"

"You look tired." She said as she watched him slide down the slope to lay down, letting out deep breaths. "Maybe you should take a different approach."

"Maybe you should try getting up there!" He yelled in response. "It's not easy!"

"I don't wanna be all oily." She said, crinkling her nose in distaste. "That's gross."

"Damn Nami! I'm going to teach her a lesson!" He huffed in frustration, slowly standing up and drawing his swords. "I can do this!"

"You've got this Zoro!" Nora cheered on from her seat, almost as if she was watching a sports match. "Kick that slopes ass!"

 _Ha. Kick_. She giggled slightly to herself. _Like Sanji… That's ironic._

She continued to cheer him on as he ran towards the slope at top speed with his swords drawn. When he began to use his swords as supports to not slip down, she snapped a final picture of the epic battle between Zoro and the slope. It would be quite funny for her to look back on. When he finally made it to the top, she congratulated him with a loud round of applause.

"Nora!" He said as he glanced down to there. "You want any help?"

"Nah, I'll just walk around the shore." She responded. "Move onto your next battle! The battle against the pirates."

And with that, he ran off into the forest to get lost, just like his captain.

Standing from her seat on the ground, she brushed herself off and glanced to her left and then to her right. She needed to figure out which way would be the quickest way around to the other shore… Did the shore even go around the whole way? She didn't particularly like to idea of swimming through parts, especially with her new clothes and her bag. Hopefully it would just be ankle deep…

"Well, might as well get started." She said to herself. "I could always try to climb a part of the cliff along the way."

With that, she set off to the right on her long walk to the other side of the island. She trudged along through the sandy shore, jumping back every once in awhile to avoid the waves and stop her shoes from getting getting wet. She wasn't really in any rush because, well she did _not_ want to get herself in the middle of the fight that was taking place on the other shore.

She wasn't stupid. She knew that that was a fight far above her level. She'd never even been in a _real_ fight before. Sure she had gotten into a few childish scuffles and she _had_ punched that one Buggy Pirate but that just wasn't the same as the fight that was currently taking place. Those were disagreements that she knew she wouldn't lose her life in. This, _this_ was a real fight. Kuro and his crew were pirates. They wouldn't hesitate to kill her within a second. To put it simply, she was an easy target. If it were an archery class, even a beginner would be able to take her down. It was as if she was a target placed no more than a metre away from. She'd get hit and she would die.

She simply could not risk getting into that fight, especially when she _knew_ they would all be fine.

"Damn it." Nora said with a sigh as she saw that her worries had come true. "Of course the shore doesn't go all the way around. How convenient."

She was glad that no one was around to hear her talking to herself, she _definitely_ would have looked insane.

Glancing around, she was able to see a section of the cliff that was flatter and lower than the rest. If she was careful, and managed to muster the strength to pull herself up to it, she'd be able to avoid taking a swim. The only problem was that they were, sharp, tall and slippery. One wrong move and she be in a world of pain. It didn't look to tall… If she managed to get up there, she'd probably manage to get back up onto the island. Walking through the forest sounded a lot easier than having to jump around avoiding waves… Making up her mind, she secured her bag over her shoulder, made sure that nothing would fall out before she reached above her head. On her tiptoes, she was just able to get her hands to grab onto the outside of the small ledge and she could feel how hard it was going to be to get a good grip. If a wave were to come, she'd be knocked down and washed away. Hopefully all those years of gymnastics would come to good use.

Mustering up all the strength she could, she began to lift her arms up and try to pull herself onto the ledge. Only, she failed.

"Damn it! I should be able to do a pull up!" She yelled out in frustration, gripping the ledge tighter. "It hasn't been that long since I did gymnastics!"

She stood there for quite some time, trying and failing to pull herself over the edge. Just when she'd think she had finally got it, her hand would slip or her arms would give out. Sure, she could have just given up and gone for the swim. It's just be a matter of stripping off and holding her bag above her head but she absolutely refused to do that. You may wonder why that is. Well, simply put, Nora had far too much pride for her own good. There was no way in hell she was going to lose to this cliff, even if there was no one around to see her give.

Shaking it off, she decided to try a different approach. Letting go of the edge and standing flat on her feet, she walked backwards a good few meters. Checking that everything in her bag was still secured, she took of running at full speed towards the cliff face. Reaching her hands up, she gripped onto the cliff's edge and used her foot to push herself up.

"Yes! I did it!" Nora yelled out in celebration as she leant her top half onto the cliffs flat ground, her feet still hanging below her in the air. "Now I just need to get my legs up…"

That was easier said than done.

She lay there, half of her body over the edge, her grip slowly slipping from the wet surface as she tried to wriggle her legs up. She really was not as strong as she used to be. She'd need to work on that… After who knows how long of wriggling around like a worm, she finally managed to find some footing on the cliffs edge. Slowly, and very cautiously, she pushed herself up from her legs.

"Finally." She said as she let out a sigh of relief, laying on her back and staring up at the sky from on top of the small cliff. "Now I just have to get up onto the island."

When she glanced up, she let out a groan of despair. The jump from this small cliff ledge to the land was even higher than the one she had just spent _far_ too much time getting up. She couldn't even reach her hands to grip the edge of this one! Maybe she should have just swam through the water. Being a bit wet would've been a million times better than cliff climbing.

"Okay Nora. You can do this." She said, doing her best to pump herself up as she stood from the ground. "Let's just go for it. There's no time like the present!"

With not as much room to run back and jump at the wall, her only option was to take the slow approach. She'd just need to ignore the fact that she could fall to her death at any moment and pretend that she was rock climbing. She just needed to pretend that she had a harness and she'd be fine. _She'd be fine._

At least she _hoped_ she would.

Walking up to the it, she lifted her hands up to see exactly how far off she was from reaching the edge. From what she could tell, it was probably around half an arms width, she could do that. She just had to take it slow. It wasn't like she was in any rush anyway. So with that in mind, she ran her hand over the rocky edge and searched for any part of it that jutted out for her to use as a hand hold. Eventually finding one, she gripped onto it tightly and hoped that it would hold as she put some of her weight onto it. Jumping slightly, she reached with her other hand and gripped another part of the cliff side just above the first one. Her feet didn't have any real support but she could work with this current situation.

"Just take it slow." She muttered to herself as she slowly heaved herself up and looked for a foothold. "It's just like rock climbing."

Eventually, she found a small indent to push her right foot into, which she did almost immediately. With that new support, she began to look around for her next handhold. It continued like this for quite some time, her slowly heaving herself up, looking for another hand or foot hold and then repeating the process until she finally got a grip onto the edge. Now she had to deal with the problem she had dealt with earlier. Getting herself up and over that ledge.

With a fierce grip on the edge, she felt sweat form on the back of her neck as she slowly, and painfully, pulled herself up. Using the strength in both her arms and legs, not that there was much of it, she hauled herself over the edge. She was relieved that there had been a foothold close to the top because otherwise, she would not have made it.

"That was exhausting! I feel kinda like a ninja." She said as she fell to the ground and let out deep breaths. Glancing around, she saw that she was in the forest that led to the other shore. Not to far away she could hear the sounds of swords clashing. "Well I guess there's no more avoiding it. I probably should go and have a look."

Slowly lifting her sore body from the ground, she stood up and made her way through the forest and towards the sound of fighting. She just hoped that she didn't end up running into Captain Kuro in these woods. She'd be done for. But then again, if she went there now while he was in his 'murder everything that moves' mode, she'd be screwed as well.

After sometime of walking, she finally came to the edge of the forest and the slope was insight. And oh was it a sight to see. Pirates were sprawled out everywhere, the mast of the Black Cat's Pirate ship was broken off and a very angry guy dressed as a cat was charging towards Zoro. She'd managed to come at the one of the most dangerous times in the fight! This was what she been trying to avoid. But no, of course she was that unlucky.

Mustering all of the courage she could, she stepped from the shadows of the forest and moved to stand by an injured Usopp. She did her best to look carm and collected but on the inside, she was a mess. During her time with the Straw Hat's they had faced some fearsome villains but Kuro had always struck her as the first 'real' one. She remembered watching and reading this scene and it had just felt so much more menacing than the others. There wasn't constant jokes being thrown in or strange fighting techniques, it was simply a true fight. That terrified her.

"You came?!" Usopp hissed in shock when he noticed her. "I thought you said you weren't gonna fight!"

"I'm not." She said with a shake of her head as she did her best to stop her hands from shaking. "I'm here to watch. Also to maybe get some good photos."

Usopp didn't respond and instead whipped his head around to the fight that was taking place in front of them. Nami had just sprinted past Jango and towards a sleeping Luffy. Nora couldn't help but cringe slightly as she saw the heel of Nami's shoe crush Luffy's face in an attempt to wake him up. An attempt that thankfully managed to work. Rubber or not, that would have _hurt_.

"That's… a blade!" Usopp cried out in shock when Jango suddenly threw his circular blade towards Nami. "Not just an ordinary pendulum for hypnotism!"

"How dare you step on my face!" She heard Luffy yell out in anger, successfully managing to move Nami from the blades path, only to take the hit himself.

Nora flinched as she blade ran across the top of his head, no doubt leaving a painful cut in it's wake. Everyone else watched on in shock, for one reason or another. Zoro for his timing of waking up, Nami and Usopp from their horror of seeing Luffy get cut, Jango because he was still alive after being crushed by the mast and Kuro simply because of the fact that he was still alive after he had fallen from the cliff.

With his teeth clenched, Luffy stompted his foot into the ground and remained standing, a sight that even Nora felt amazed to watch. Yanking the blade from his head, everyone continued to watch on in shock.

"That hurts!" Luffy yelled out in fury.

With that, the Black Cat Pirates went into a frenzy, yelling about how that now he had revived, they were doomed. Nora knew that they were, it would just take a bit longer than expected when Kuro decided to step in.

"That really hurts!" Luffy turned to yell at Nami who quickly responded.

"It wasn't me!" She yelled back in shock before she suddenly fell to the ground. Nora flinched slightly at the deep cut that had been left on her shoulder. That would hurt.

"They're pretty impressive aren't they?" She said to Usopp besides her.

"Amazing…" He mumbled back in response as he watched on in shock and awe.

They continued to watch on as Luffy stood at the bottom of the slope and faced everyone. As Kuro reminded his crew that they only had three minutes left to live, his crew began to prepare for action, in a final desperate attack to take down Luffy and Zoro, only they were interrupted.

"Clahador!" Kaya yelled from atop of the slope, just to the right of Nora and Usopp, her coat wrapped around her frail form. "Stop it!"

"Kaya!" Usopp yelled in shock, his eyes widening behind his goggles. "Why… Why are you here?!"

"You surprised me… young mistress." Kuro said as he adjusted his glasses. "What are you doing here…?

"Merry told me everything." Kaya said as she stood before him.

"Oh… He didn't die?" Kuro said in amusement. "I didn't… show any mercy to him…"

"I'm really sorry… Usopp! Maybe you can't forgive me so easily but…" Kaya said with gritted teeth. "I really can't believe... that Clahador is a pirate!"

"Never mind that! Why are you here?" Usopp yelled from besides her, making Nora move her hand to cover her ear. "Didn't I tell you to run away?! These pirates are after your life!"

Aren't you fighting as well?!" Kaya yelled back, tears forming in her eyes. "We treated you so badly… and yet you're here fighting, even with those wounds."

"We're different!" He replied. "I… I'm a brave warrior of-"

"Clahador! If you want my money, I will give it to you!" Kaya yelled, cutting Usopp off. "Please leave the village!"

Kuro turned down Kaya's offer, explaining to them that money wasn't the only thing he wanted. He wanted peace of mind. To not have to worry about constantly being chased by the marines. He simply wanted to continue to live in this village with money and peace. An outlook that truly confused Nora. He had been living here peacefully for three years. Why couldn't that be enough?

"Kaya run! Don't bother negotiating with him!" Usopp bellowed. "He's no longer the butler you knew!"

It was then that Kaya whipped out a gun from her coat and pointed it directly at her ex-butler. Nora knew it would be a futile attempt but Kaya was brave, braver than she could ever be. Knowing what she knew, she could never bring herself to face someone so fearsome. Even after he had not hesitated to shoot Merry, even when she knew how unforgiving he could be, Kaya still pointed that gun at him.

"Leave this village!" She yelled with the pistol in her hands.

"So…" Kuro said as he stood before her. "You've become stronger in these years."

As Kuro began to reminiscent about the times they had had together, their boat rides, walking through the town, taking care of her when she was sick and his suffering. He claimed to have suffered from having to take care of her for so long yet Nora knew he would have been treated amazingly in those three years. That much was obvious from the loyalty that Merry had for her. Tears began to run down Kaya's face as he told her the only reason for everything was so that he could kill her. As Kuro continued to throw insults at her, talking about how much he had lied over the last three years, Kaya dropped the gun and Usopp cursed him from besides her.

In his anger, Usopp lunged at Kuro, his fist pulled back with the intention of striking. When the ex-butler used that strange technique of his, something that reminded Nora of that one technique that CP-9 used, she did her best to make herself unnoticeable. Things were about to pick up and she really didn't want to get herself stuck in the middle of it.

"Usopp… Now that I think of it, I…" Kuro said, now behind Usopp. "Still haven't thanked you for that punch you gave me last time! You hit me really hard!"

It was then that Nora realised something was about to happen. She couldn't remember exactly what it was but chances were, she was probably going to want a photo of it. Readying her camera, she grinned as a fist, Luffy's fist, came out of nowhere and struck Kuro down. With a press of a button, she was able to capture that moment in a photograph. Something she was _very_ happy about. When she was feeling down, she'd just have to look at that photo and she'd definitely feel better.

"Captain Kuro got knocked down?!" His crew exclaimed in shock as they watched him fall.

"If you really hate being hit... " Luffy said with a smirk, his fist snapping back into place. "I'll just make sure to hit you a few hundred more times!"

"What happened?!" The pirate crew exclaimed in shock as they looked back and forth between Luffy and Kuro. "How did he knock Captain Kuro down from that position?!"

From her position, Nora could see Kuro glance up, through his cracked glasses, with an annoyed look on his face. It was then when she heard a shout come from the forest as the Usopp Pirates jumped at Kuro, swinging various makeshift weapons at him. Nora, being the responsible person that she was, took this moment to capture a picture of one the East Blue's fearsome pirates being attacked by a group of children. Despite the situation, she couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the look of shock on everyone's faces.

"Here comes Usopp's Pirate Group!" Yelled Ninjin as he a pan, making Nora laugh even more as she thought of _Tangled_.

"Die you bastard!" Piiman yelled next with a baseball bat in his hands.

"You ingrate butler!" Tamenagi was next with a shovel in his hands.

Seeing the three children swing their weapons and curse out Kuro really was a sight she would never be able to forget. She was not only impressed with their bravery but also the words that they were slinging at him. When she was that age, she would _not_ have known any of those words.

"Stop it! All of you!" Usopp yelled, worried for his younger friends safety. "Stop it!"

"Okay, we'll have mercy on him." Ninjin said as they stepped away from the beatdown Kuro. "Our captain was really fighting!"

"Why didn't you tell us?!" Piiman said with an accusing point at Usopp. "That's disloyal!"

"Wrong!" Tamenagi corrected. "It should be dishonest!"

"It doesn't matter if it's disloyal or dishonest!" Usopp yelled at them from the ground. "Just get out of here! Run away!"

"We won't leave you, captain!"

"Yeah! We wanna fight to!"

"If we run, we'll ruin the reputation of the Usopp Pirate Group!"

The vegetable trio froze up when they heard the sound of Kuro standing up behind them. When they fell to the ground, Nora knew that her time of sitting and watching was over. They were children and as much as she didn't want to die, she really didn't want to risk seeing them get hurt. So, as Kuro walked past the Usopp Pirate Group, and then past Kaya, Nora cautiously made her way to three children, cringing when she heard Usopp get attacked.

"I'm a bit curious… That was quite an off attack you just used." Kuro said to Luffy who still stood at the bottom of the slope. "Looks like you posses the power of the Devil's Fruit!"

"You guys need to get out of here." Nora uttered quietly to the vegetable trio and Kaya as Luffy confirmed Kuro's statement. "Things are about to get dangerous."

"We can't just leave captain though!" They protested while Kaya nodded in agreement.

"Have some faith in Luffy." She replied with a small grin. "He'll take care of the village and Usopp."

"Jango! I will take care of the kids! You take care of Kaya! Make her write her will, and then… Kill her!" Kuro instructed. "And also... those three puny ants, and that other girl… they irritate me."

"I believe that's our cue to leave." Nora said as the vegetable trio and Kaya watched on in shock.

"Stop!" Zoro said, his arm out and sword ready. "I won't let you get through me."

That statement didn't go as Nora hoped it would. Unfortunately, Zoro's fight with Buchi was reignited, leaving them to fend for themselves against Jango and his razor sharp pendulums. They watched on in awe as Buchi's drop kick shattered the ground, Zoro only narrowly avoiding the attack. The fight between them grew more and more intense with Zoro only narrowly avoiding the attacks that were being thrown at him. It was a very stressful experience. By the time he managed to kick Buchi away, Jango had already gotten past him, slowly making his way towards Nora and co.

"Usopp Pirate Group!" Usopp addressed, getting their attention.

"I… I told you we… won't run!" Ninjin managed to yell out through his fear.

"Captain! You're badly injured." Piiman added in with a furious nod. "We can't just run away!"

"We will destroy your enemies!" Tamenagi finished with his shovel raised in the air.

"Protect Kaya! I'm giving you the most important task! " Usopp said, making them freeze up. "Take Kaya away from here safely! You mustn't refuse! This is the captain's order!"

"Nora!" She heard Luffy yell from the the bottom of the slope as the Usopp Pirates and Kaya began to make their leave. "Go with them and make sure they're okay!"

"Ordering me around like I'm on your crew…" Nora said with a shake of her head, but the never the less, she followed after them, not wanting to be anywhere near the fight that was about to take place.

"Where can you run to?" Jango said with his blades twirling around his fingers.

As they ran away, Nora heard him shout out about some special technique, only the shortly after hear the thud of him falling to the ground. She was very glad that Usopp had managed to stop that attack because otherwise, it would have been going straight towards her.

"Kaya, Nora!" The vegetable trio said as they led the way through the forest. "This way!"

"I hope you kids know where you're going…" Nora said, chasing after them and into the woods. "I really don't want to get lost."

* * *

 **And chapter 6 is here! I actually had so much fun writing this chapter! I included more scenes of Nora and her kin of doing her own thing and I just found that really interesting to write. Sorry if it seems like she missed out on a lot, I just really wanted a chance to write about her and her own actions and kind of try to develop her character a bit more? Let me know if you liked it!**

 **So I actually have a really important question that I want to ask you guys. I have pictures of Nora and how she looks but it shows her before and after the timeskip. I want to post it on deviantart (which is linked on my profile btw) but I don't want to spoil anything if that makes sense? It's not like there's any major differences but do you guys think it would be more interesting to wait until after the timeskip so it's more of a surprise? I just feel like it's so early but at the same time I want you to see what she looks like.**

 **EDIT: I've posted an image of Nora to my DeviantArt account ( ThousandSunni) There's a link on my profile but I don't think the links are working at the moment! A couple of you said you wanted a picture so t's just her current self, not after the timeskip :)**

 **Anyway, I just want to thank you all for the kind reviews! That's probably another reason writing this chapter was so fun. Knowing that all of you amazing people who had left these reviews and were looking forward to the next chapter made me want to write it every chance I got! So thank you to all of those people and thank you to all of the readers in general! We've almost reach 2000 views which is absolutely amazing considering the short time this story has been up! On top of that, this story has 60, yes 60!, follows which is honestly amazing!**

 **Thank you all for reading, don't forget to follow/favourite/review and I'll see you next week with the next chapter :)**


	7. Why Does This Keep Happening!

**Reminder that you can find a picture of Nora on my DeviantArt account ( ThousandSunni) There's a link on my profile but links may still be broke so you might just have to search the username :)**

* * *

The Misadventures of Nora

Chapter 7

Why Does This Keep Happening?!

* * *

"Is the hypnotist still chasing after us?" Piiman said from the front of the group, turning to briefly look at them.

"No! I don't see him." Tamenagi replied with a sigh of relief. "Maybe we've lost him."

"He must be dreaming if he thinks he can catch us in this forest!" Niinjin said with a small smirk.

"Don't worry Kaya!" Tamenagi said with a reassuring smile. "We'll protect you!"

"That's right!" Piiman confirmed. "In the name of the Usopp Pirate Group!"

"And I'll do my best to look after all of you." Nora said from behind them. "Although I probably won't be much help."

"Yes." Kaya said as she began to pale and huff. "...Thank you."

Nora jumped in shock when trees began to fall at a rapid pace, being cut down by what she knew to be Jango's pendulums. She knew it would come sooner rather than later, she just didn't realise it would be _this_ soon. Paling as she heard the shouts of the hypnotist coming closer and closer, she ushered her companions back, away from the open air that the blades had created. They needed to get more into the shadows of the tree. They were in the open and being in the open made them an easy target.

"Brats! Where are you!?" She heard Jango shout, much closer than she would have liked. "Don't think you can get away!"

"L-Let's keep moving." Nora said as she gave them a slight shove into the darker areas of the forest. "He'll find us if we stay in one spot."

As they continued to weave through the forest, trees crashing down around them, she just prayed that Zoro and Usopp would make it here soon. If Luffy had thought sending her with them would somehow protect any of them, he had been wrong. _Very_ wrong. Then again, she was probably safer here than she would have been near Kuro. It was probably more so for her own sake. That guy was _dangerous_. She had no doubt in her mind that she would be cut down within seconds if she had stayed there.

"Watch out!" Nora frantically exclaimed, dragging Ninjin from the course of a falling tree. "Damn it… That Jango really is insane."

"Th-Thanks." Ninjin replied, clearly shaken up from the close call.

As they continued to weave through the woods, Nora could see that Kaya was weakening. Her breathing was growing heavier and she was beginning to turn awfully pale. She knew that they wouldn't be able to run around much longer, the other girls health wouldn't allow for it. Her already sick body, along with the stress from the night before and the stress of the current situation would be simply to much for her. It was even becoming too much for Nora. This was proved right seconds later when Kaya collapsed to the ground in exhaustion with sweat pouring down her face as she let out loud gasps for air.

"Kaya!" The three young boys yelled in worry, running over to make sure she was okay. Nora kept her back to them, looking for any signs of Jango getting closer.

"I'm sorry…" She managed to gasp out, her hand against her chest in an attempt to steady her breathing. "You all keep going ahead."

"What are you saying?!" Ninjin exclaimed in shock, instantly turning down the girls order. "We're here to protect you Kaya!"

As the three behind her began to stress about Kaya's health, Nora began to stress for a completely different reason. Straining her ears, she could hear the sound of footsteps coming in their direction. It was finally time for them to face Jango and she could practically feel herself shaking. As ridiculous as the man was, in both style and personality, he was a dangerous pirate who was looking for them with the intent of killing them. He wouldn't hesitate. She tensed up when he finally came into view, wishing that she had some sort of weapon, anything, to defend herself.

"There you are." He said, placing a hand on a tree as he leant against it while the vegetable trio let out screams of terror. Pulling out his pendulum, he began to swing it in their direction. "On the count of "One, Two, Jango", you will fall asleep!"

"Keep your eyes closed or look away!" Nora said as he began to count, but her warning was not enough for the three children, or that would be how it appeared to Jango at least. They all collapsed to the ground but she could see through their mock sleep. While they pretend to sleep, Kaya was smart enough to close her eyes and turn her head from the hypnotist. Deciding to stall for a bit longer, she stayed standing.

"Hmmm? It seems you're still awake." Jango said with a frown in her direction, spinning his pendulum around his finger. "I guess I'll have to fix that."

Deciding that now wasn't the time to talk, Nora watched the hypnotist's actions carefully. If she could just hold out for a bit longer, it would ensure that they would be fine. She wasn't sure if her rushing them had impacted how long it would take for Usopp and Zoro to arrive and she didn't want to take any risks. She _needed_ to stall. The problem was, she didn't know whether she could do that. He was a pirate and she was some girl that had no training or knowledge of any sorts of self defense! Letting out a small yelp, she dived to her left, narrowly avoiding the blade that had been thrown directly at her. Glancing backwards, she shivered slightly at how deeply it had cut into the tree. She was _very_ lucky to have missed that.

"H-Hey now." She said as she slowly stood back up, nervously waving her hands at the hypnotist. "That could hurt someone… Someone as in _me_."

"Well if you had just fallen asleep like the rest." Jango said, but Nora, despite the situation, wasn't paying attention to him. From the corner of her eye, she could see Tamenagi gesturing for her to pretend to sleep. It seemed that they had managed to come up with a plan. "One, Two, Jango should have knocked out out!"

Hearing the hypnotist repeat those words, Nora took the opportunity to fall to the ground, following the Usopp Pirate Group's lead into fake sleep. As she lay with her eyes closed, she heard Jango let out a confused noise at her suddenly narcoleptic attack but thankfully, he seemed to accept it and walk towards Kaya. She spent quite sometime pretending to be asleep, every once in awhile opening her eye to check up on Kaya and make sure that the hypnotists blade hadn't moved to close to her. When Jango began to get frustrated, she knew that the vegetable trio would soon make their move.

"Open your eyes little girl!" He yelled out in frustration as he swung the pendulum before her.

"No." Kaya responded with her eyes squeezed shut and her head turned to the side. "I won't let you hypnotise me. I won't let you write the will."

"If that's the case, I'll have to open them by force!" Jango shouted as he dove towards her, grabbing onto her face and attempting to forcefully open her eyes.

"Here's our chance!" The three boys yelled as they dove towards Jango, various attacks and weapons prepared.

As they dove at him, Nora stuck her leg out, tripping the hypnotist from behind before standing up and joining the three in their ambush. As they shook pepper in his eyes, she took the opportunity to land a solid kick into his ribs, hoping that it would be painful enough to keep him down. Even if it wasn't, the baseball bat to his crotch would have _certainly_ done it. As the three rushed over to help Kaya up, she took one last kick at him, this time aimed at his ugly goatee. Not being able to help herself, she pulled out her camera, and snapped of photo of the now beaten and bruised hypnotist who was sporting a bent goatee, something she was very proud of.

"Nora!" The three boys yelled out to her as they helped Kaya run with them. "Let's go!"

"I'm coming!" She replied as she let out a small laugh before chasing after them. "Perhaps that hypnotist isn't as dangerous as I thought."

At the time, she didn't realise that she had spoken to soon.

Once they had made it a fair distance away Jango, they crouched in a circle, hidden by the trees and the shadows of the forest. In the distance, she could hear his shouts, meaning that they would need to act soon if they didn't want to be caught off guard. As they crouched there discussing their course of action, she once again tried to speed things up as she heard the hypnotist getting closer and closer to them.

"So we've all got the plan?" Ninjin said, glancing around at the group. When they nodded, he continued. "Let's get going then."

Going along with their plan, Nora stood behind a tree, carefully hidden by the shadows while Tamenagi and Ninjin climbed two of the trees, their weapons ready. Kaya and Piiman were hidden behind some bushes, just opposite her. It wasn't the most amazing plan but if it kept them alive, it would be more than fine. When Jango came into their view, standing underneath the tree Tamenagi was in, said boy jumped down with his shovel ready, aiming to knock down the enemy.

"Don't get cocky!" Jango yelled, taking a hold of the boy, catching him and halting the attack.

His friends let out a yell of his name while Kaya gasped in horror. Nora began to pray that Usopp and Zoro would get here soon. She didn't know what to do in this situation! She wished that she did but she just didn't. Seeing young children getting hurt brought back horrible memories and the fact that there wasn't anyone to help brought up even worse ones.

"You've taken your little pirate game too far!" Jango said as his grip on the boy tightened. "Since you're stupid enough to interfere in a real pirate's business, you can go to hell and die!"

"You bastard!" Ninjin and Piiman yelled at the sight of their friends being hauled into the air.

As Jango swung his arm back, intent on throwing the young boy into a tree, Nora's body tensed up before she began to move. It seemed that her body had managed to find the strength she had been looking for earlier that day when she had been cliff climbing. She simply could not allow herself to sit around and watch them get hurt. They were children and they didn't deserve this! Coming to halt in front of the tree, she managed to catch Tamenagi seconds before he collided with it. It probably wasn't the best feeling for him to be caught and she had no doubt that it would have hurt be she knew that it would have had to have been a million times better than colliding with the hard bark of the tree.

"You just love to keep interfering don't you?" Jango said as he turned to glare at her.

Now what Nora did next was probably not her smartest move, actually scratch that, it _definitely_ was not her smartest move. But honestly? She couldn't help it. His appearance was already quite comical, looking like a drag queen version of Michael Jackson. The bent goatee just added a new aspect of hilarity. He looked absolutely _ridiculous_. The fact that she had been the one to cause his facial hair malfunction really didn't help either. She honestly did try to hold it in, she really _really_ did but she just _couldn't_.

With a grin on her face, she let out a small laugh.

A small laugh that turned into a bigger laugh. Once she had started, she simply could not stop laughing. Placing Tamenagi down, she tried to smother her laughter with her hands but it just _did not work_. Everyone watched on in various degrees of shock. The vegetable trio was looking at her like she was absolutely insane while Kaya looked like she was worried about her mental health and then there was Jango. If anything, his expression at her laughter was what made her break down even more. Practically falling to the floor in laughter, she briefly wondered if perhaps this was the shock from the past few days catching up with her.

 _No he just looks really stupid._ She decided after a quick glance upwards, all while she continued to laugh.

"S-Sorry." She managed to choke out through her sniggering. "I just-I just can't help it!"

Through her laughter, Nora managed to narrowly avoid the pendulum thrown her way, this time really falling to the floor. This however, was not enough to stop her laughter, if anything, it made it worse. Something about this whole situation just seemed ridiculous to her and really, it _was_. She was being chased through the forest by a hypnotist pirate that looked like Michael Jackson and had a bent goatee. Things like that just don't happen in real life. She had gotten to the stage where no noises were coming out and she was just sitting there clapping like a seal. She wasn't exactly proud of it but that didn't stop her from laughing.

 _This is probably making me seem like some brave warrior._ She thought through her guffawing. _But really, I think I'm just going delirious._

"Okay…" She said as she slowly stood up, bent over and huffing from her laughing fit. "I think I'm good now."

Ninjin and Piiman took Jango's momentary moment of anger and shock to jump at him, swinging their weapons in an attempt to take revenge for hurting Tamanegi. Seeing Ninjin get sent flying by the hypnotist quickly snapped her out of her state and she ran forward to shield Piiman and avoid him suffering a similar fate. As she placed herself in front of him, bracing for the attack, Jango moved to make his move, only to stop at a sudden shout from Kaya.

"Please stop it!" She screamed with tears in her eyes. "I'll write the will! Just stop hurting them!"

"No!" Piiman yelled, struggling in Nora's grip as he tried to attack Jango. "After you write the will, he'll kill you!"

"Idiot! Don't try to negotiate with me. Captain Kuro said I have to..." Jango spoke, swinging his leg backwards before sending it flying painfully into Nora's stomach. "Kill all of you!"

 _First the scars and now the horrible bruises?_ She thought with noise of displeasure. _Today is not my day._

Letting out a groan, she clutched at her stomach in pain but upon seeing that Piiman was relatively unharmed, she let out a sigh. The three Usopp Pirates were still hurt but nowhere near as badly as she remembered them being in the manga. At the very least, she had managed to achieve that. She had been able to stop them from going through something truly horrible and for that she was glad. She just really needed Usopp and Zoro to _hurry up_. She tensed up as Jango began to make his way towards her and the boys. She just hoped that she hadn't messed up all the timing. If the two Straw Hat's didn't make it in time she wouldn't be able to save anyone.

"Since you won't listen…" Kaya yelled, taking one of Jango's pendulum's and holding it to her throat. "I will kill myself and you won't get the will!"

As inappropriate as it was, in that moment, Nora couldn't help but wonder why someone as smart as Kuro hadn't thought to just forge Kaya's signature. To her, that seemed like the easier option compared to all of _this_.

"Wait! Don't make a stupid decision! I just want the will! If I don't get it, I'll be in big trouble!" Jango said with an outstretched hand when he realised how Kuro would react to this. "I'll let the kids go! Not like they can escape anyway."

As Jango walked over to Kaya and pulled out the will and quill for her to write it, Nora once again felt that sinking feeling. There was nothing she could do and it made her feel awful. Just like she couldn't be helpful against the marines or save Chou-Chou's treasure, she couldn't help the poor girl and she couldn't stop Jango. She _hated_ it.

"If we pretend to stay unconscious, will we live?" Piiman asked, laying on his side just in front of Nora.

"I think so…" Tamenagi said as he lay on his back. "Kaya has saved us."

"Didn't the captain say that if you know you're going to lose, then you must flee?" Ninjin questioned as he stared up at the sky.

"But captain is a liar!" Piiman said as he gritted his teeth, growing angry at the situation.

"That's true." Nora muttered in confirmation. "Despite everything he says, he's so brave."

"Now he's bravely fighting alone!" Tamenagi said as he nodded at her comment. "He was all covered in blood and still wanted to protect us!"

"We can't let Kaya die!" Ninjin said as they came to group decision. "We are the Usopp Pirate Group!"

"Well then Usopp Pirates." Nora said, adjusting herself slightly, concealing her wince at the action and preparing to stand. "I'll help you out."

"But Nora…" Tamenagi said as he looked at her in concern. "Aren't you hurt?"

"Yeah." Piiman nodded in agreement with concern evident on his face. "He kicked you really hard…"

"Like that would be enough to hurt me." She lied with a small scoff, doing her best to channel her inner Usopp. "Let's get into action."

As Jango stood before Kaya, preparing to kill her, Nora and Usopp Pirates moved into action. Running towards the hypnotist, she let out a sigh of relief when she saw Usopp and Zoro from the corner of her eye. Everything was going to be okay. The story would go on as it was supposed to and nobody would die.

"Damn hypnotist!" She heard Zoro shout as he ran towards them. "You can't do anything now!"

"What?! He caught up with me?" Jango said as he whipped his head around upon hearing Zoro's shout. Realising he needed to hurry, he held the blade to Kaya's neck. "I should finish you off quickly!"

"Don't even think about it!" Piiman yelled as the boys took ahold of his coat and attempted to swing the hypnotist to the floor while Nora went to shield Kaya from any of the other attacks that Jango would attempt.

"You damn brats!" Jango yelled, making her flinch as he sent a kick into the three boys and sent the flying. He then took ahold of the front of her top, not noticing that it wasn't Kaya he had grabbed and turned to yell at Zoro. "It's too late late now Haramaki Kid!"

"Probably not." Nora said with a grin, making the hypnotist whip his head to her in shock. Before he was given the chance to respond, she spoke again. "You should probably watch out."

"Good." She heard Usopp say as Zoro cut down a branch that had been blocking the sniper's view. "That branch was in the way."

"You're screwed now." She said to the hypnotist, grinning as she tried to look brave, despite having the blade pointed at her neck. "He _never_ misses."

"Eat this hypnotist!" Usopp yelled as Nora and Zoro watched with on with smirks on their faces. "Special technique, gunpowder star!"

Diving to the side, Nora watched on in satisfaction as the shot hit Jango, sending him sprawling across the floor as flames burst around him. Letting out a sigh of relief, she rolled onto her back and stared at the sky. The fight was over and everyone was safe. Jango had been defeated and down at the slope, Luffy would be finishing off Kuro. While she had no doubt that she was going to be sore and covered in bruises, she had managed to survive. Looking back on her actions, she let out a breathless chuckle. Despite her earlier words, she had gotten herself involved in a fight that could have killed her. She was insane. To think that this early on, one of the villains had caused so much trouble. Facing them in real life was _much_ different from what she had imagined while reading and watching _One Piece_.

Glancing around, she saw Usopp and his friends reuniting, relieved grins on their faces at the fact that everyone was okay. Feeling out of place, Nora stood and looked around for Zoro. Seeing him watching on with a small smile on his face, she jogged towards him, knowing that soon, they would part ways. She might as well enjoy her time with the Straw Hats while she could. Soon they would be nothing but a fond memory.

"You're looking pretty alive for someone who went on about how they were going to die if they got involved." Zoro said, pausing to let Nora catch up to him, with a grin on his face. "Also you're looking even more like a pirate."

"I nearly died _at least_ six times! I'm going to be covered in bruises." She responded as she began to huff slightly, the pain from the kick still stinging. Taking his bandanna from his hands she spoke again. "Let me tie that."

"You did look quite brave though." Zoro said with a nod of thanks as she tied it around his bicep. "Using yourself as a shield and standing directly in front of the blade."

"Well I'm glad I looked brave." She said with a shake of her head while clutching her stomach with a groan. "I sure as hell didn't feel brave."

"You okay?" Zoro asked as he side-eyed her.

"I'm on my period." She replied, a straight face that quickly morphed into a grin at his embarrassed sputtering. "I'm kidding. That damn hypnotist kicked me. By the way, do you know which way is out of the forest?"

"Of course I do!" Zoro said as he whipped his head around to her with a glare. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because we're back to Usopp and his friends."

* * *

Sometime later, Nora and Zoro had finally made it out of the forest and back to the slope where Nami sat hugging her treasure and Luffy lay on the ground, looking absolutely exhausted. Getting Zoro to go in the right direction had been a tiresome task and she honestly had no clue how he had been able to make it back on his own in the manga. She had had to strategically walk or distract him to make him turn the right way because of how damn stubborn he was. He refused to take directions and admit that he was going the wrong way.

"What took you two so long?" Nami said as she glanced up briefly from her newest bag of loot.

"Nora kept walking the same way." Zoro said with a smirk as he went to sit and lean against the wall of the slope.

"Yes that's _definitely_ what happened." Nora said with a scoff as she lied down on her back on Nami's other side. Letting out a groan, she clutched her stomach that was already bruising. "I'm exhausted and everything hurts."

"Are you okay?" Nami asked, glancing down at her stomach in concern and gently prodding a finger into the bruising flesh. "That's a nasty bruise. How'd you get it?"

"She broke the hypnotists goatee." Zoro said before she had the chance to give a proper reply. "It was bent to the side."

"You bent his goatee?" Luffy asked as his laughter began to fill the air. "Did you get a photo?"

"There was more to it than that." She grumbled yet never the less reached into her bag and pulled out her newest polaroid and showed it to the others, only prompting them to laugh more.

After that, the four of them lazed around in a rare time of silence, staring up at the sky, taking a nap or just relaxing. It was a very well needed rest that she could tell they all needed. Feeling the soreness in her muscles, she could tell that she was nowhere near as strong as she had once been. With different technology and lifestyles in this world, she decided that it would be best for her to start getting fit again. Then again, it wasn't like she'd encounter many problems on this island…

 _There is always the option of going…_ A small part of her whispered in the back of the mind but she immediately shook that thought away. _Today was just more proof that I'm not strong or brave enough._

"Thank you! It's all thanks to you!" She jumped slightly at the sound of Usopp's voice, having been to deep in her own thoughts to hear his approach. "If it weren't for you guys, the village couldn't have been protected."

"What are you saying?" She heard Zoro say from his spot against the slopes wall. She could practically hear the grin on his lips. "If you hadn't done anything, I wouldn't have either."

"Same here." Luffy said, to exhausted to say more.

"I just got dragged into it." Nora said as she sat up to glance at Usopp. "It was also for the photos. I got some good ones."

"That doesn't matter." Nami said as she happily snuggled against the sack. "I was able to get the treasure."

"In light of this…" Usopp began, making Luffy let out a confused sound. "There's a decision I've made! I'm going to go out to sea and become a real pirate!"

Upon hearing his words, a smile came onto Nora's face. Usopp, actually, none of the people around her knew it yet, but this decision would change the path of his life completely. He would go on a true adventure now and see things that he would only be able to lie about if he were to stay on this island. It was almost strange for her to think about how this one decision would change his whole life and everything he'd ever known.

"I don't have time to talk!" Usopp said before any of them were able to say anything. "I have to go and pack!"

"We should probably get ready to leave this island as well." Nami said with a sigh as she stood up, her bags of treasure still in her arms.

"But food first!" Luffy said, jumping from the ground with a grin. "Let's go back to the tavern!"

As the three Straw Hat's around her began to move, they glanced back when they realised she was still laying there and staring up at the sky.

"Aren't you coming?" Luffy asked as he walked back and stared down at her, a frown on his face.

"To tired." She replied with a groan, moving her arms to cover her eyes. "Everything hurts and I want to sleep."

"You can't sleep without having eaten!" Luffy exclaimed as his frown deepened. Suddenly, Nora felt herself being lifted up and carried, the wind blowing through her hair as Luffy ran. "Come on let's go get food!"

"Luffy!" She yelled out, Zoro and Nami jogging behind them to keep up. "Put me down!"

A shout of 'Food!' was the only response she got from the pirate as he ran back towards the village.

* * *

"Did you have to run while you were carrying?" Nora said with a groan as she knelt on the floor. "I feel sick now."

"Don't tell me you're getting seasick on land!" Nami said with a flat stare at her kneeling figure. "That's stupid. You've got a really weak stomach."

"Doesn't matter." Luffy said as he opened the door to the tavern. "Let's eat!"

With a loud groan, Nora dragged herself up from the floor and followed the Straw Hat's into the tavern, the thought of eating making her groan slightly. Her stomach was still hurting far too much from that kick to eat anything. How the others, who had taken a lot more hits than she had, were still walking around as if they were fine was a mystery to her. With a groan, she got herself up from the floor and followed them back into the tavern, sitting in the exact same spot she had sat in the day before.

"Oi Nora." Zoro called back, standing at the counter and ordering with Nami. "What do you want?"

"Nothing." She said as she leant her head down onto the table. "I'm gonna take a nap."

"Why would you want to sleep instead of eat?!" Luffy yelled as he began to frantically shake her. "Are you dying? Are you okay?! You have to eat!"

"Calm down!" Nami snapped as she smacked him across the head, taking her seat. "I ordered enough for everyone to eat whatever they want so if she changes her mind she can take it."

"I also ordered enough drinks for us all!" Zoro said with a grin as he slid four mugs onto the table. "Drink up."

"What is is?" She asked, lifting her head and glancing into the mug in front of her, taking a whiff, only to feel tears come into her eyes. "Is this _acid_ or something?"

"Drink it." He said as he shoved it into her hands, Nami nodding in agreement as she took a sip from her own mug. "You'll like it."

Being to exhausted to fight it, Nora took the mug and took small sips, ignoring the burning feeling it left behind. It continued like this for a while, the others joking around and drinking while she sat there feeling completely drained. She imagined that this was how devil fruit users felt when they came into contact with seastone. Eventually, the food came out and despite her previous denial, she took a few bites, appreciating the food after such a hard night.

"Phew! I got it!" Luffy said from across the table, pulling a fish bone from his throat.

"Idiot." Zoro said as he leant back, empty plates in front of him. "It's because your throat isn't trained enough to handle fish bones."

"How do you train your throat?" Nora asked, glancing up with a confused frown, feeling drowsier than she had before. "Is that even possible?"

"Of course it is!" Zoro said with a nod. "Otherwise I wouldn't be able to handle the fish bones."

"If you eat fish, this is what usually remains." Nami explained to Luffy to Nora's right.

As her three companions continued to converse and joke around at the table, Nora felt her eyes growing heavier and heavier and her body slouching forward to lean onto the table. She tried to fight of the exhaustion and sleepiness but the earlier events combined with the awfully strong alcohol was just too much with her. She needed to sleep and so she did.

"Well we had our meal." Zoro said with a nod, preparing to stand up. "We should get going."

"You're right." Luffy said with a nod, getting up to leave with Nami and Zoro following, only to pause when he realised a certain girl wasn't following. Turning back he glanced at Nora, only to see she was still asleep.

"So she fell asleep." Zoro said with a small laugh. "She did look exhausted."

"We should let her sleep." Luffy said with a grin. "Zoro can you carry her so she doesn't wake up?"

"Wasn't she going to stay on this island though?" Nami said as she watched Zoro pick the girl up. "We can't just kidnap her."

"Doesn't she owe you money for her clothes?" Luffy asked with a small laugh, beginning to walk down to the shore and their boats. "You won't get it if she stays here."

"Zoro!" Nami yelled as she whipped around to face the swordsman. "She's coming with us! Don't leave her behind!"

On their way out, they ran into Kaya who told them that she had a ship for them, halting any more thoughts on whether or not they would be leaving Nora behind like she wanted them to. As the three pirates happily followed after Kaya to their new ship, Nora unwillingly tagging along, her fate was once again being changed, even though she was yet to realise it.

* * *

Letting out a groan, Nora snuggled more into the the surface she was laying on. It wasn't exactly comfy but her exhausted state didn't really care much for comfort. After the incident in Syrup Village, she was absolutely exhausted. She'd said it before and she'd keep saying it, she had no idea how the Straw Hat's were so fine after all of their fights!

 _Wait!_ Nora shot up, the thought of the Straw Hats clearing the fog from her mind. _Did I miss my chance to say goodbye?!_

Glancing around in concern, she tried to get her bearings and pin point exactly where she was and what had happened only to suddenly freeze up. She was surrounded by blue. The ocean. She was on a boat. The Going Merry. She was on the Going Merry which was sailing the sea. She wasn't in Syrup Village anymore.

"You're finally awake." She heard Zoro say as he watched in amusement as she glanced around in shock. "You were sleeping for ages. It was impressive."

"Why the hell am I on a boat?!" Nora finally managed to screech out, jumping up from the deck and gripping at her hair. "This was not supposed to happen."

"Why's she freaking out?" Usopp said, scratching this side of his head in confusion. "I thought you said she was on the crew?"

"I'm not on the crew!" She yelled as she tried to look into the distance and see if the island was still insight. "I'm not a damn pirate!"

"Nora look!" Luffy yelled in excitement as he stretched his neck over to her, a large grin covering his face. "We have a ship! It's called the Going Merry! Isn't it amazing!"

 _Why does this keep happening?!_ She thought with a groan as she rubbed her face in frustration. _I just want a peaceful life._

"You kidnapped me!" Was all she was able to shriek, pointing an accusing finger at the boy. The another thought popped into her head and she began to stress even more. "Where's my bag?"

"Calm down." Nami told her, hitting her over the head with said bag. "We just borrowed your camera and it's not like you can go back now."

"My camera?" She asked in confusion, some of her stress disappearing upon finding out her bag, and more specifically her journal and camera were okay. "For what?"

"To take photos!" Luffy said with a nod. "They're really good! Look at them!"

Wanting to see what pictures they had taken, she nervously reached into her bag and pulled out her journal where she had tucked her previous photos. She let out a breath of relief when she realised they'd only taken five photos. She hadn't run out of film just yet. She just hoped that the photos they had taken weren't bad ones of Luffy's foot or something. Pulling out the new additions to her photo collection, a soft smile came onto her face as she looked at them.

"See! I told you they were good!" Luffy said as his grin grew wider at her reaction. "Do you like them?"

The four photos in front of her actually made this whole situation slightly less troubling for her. It seemed that in the short amount of time she had spent with them, they had managed to get quite a good idea of what sort of photos she likes to take. The first one was a picture of the Going Merry and Merry the butler, obviously taken almost as soon as they had been told that it was being given to them. The second photo was a photo that made her giggle slightly. It was of Luffy, Zoro and Usopp, the latter having just rolled down the hill due to his big bag and being stopped by the pairs feet to his face. The third one was of the moment Usopp had joined the crew. Whoever had taken the photo had caught him mid leap with a grin on his face and his fist in the air. The fourth one was of all of them standing on the deck, minus Nora who could be seen fast asleep while being held by Zoro. It must have been taken by Kaya or Merry The fourth and final image wasn't as heartfelt but she couldn't bring herself to hate it. The fifth and final one was what made her the happiest. It seemed they'd been paying a lot more attention to her ations than she had thought. It was a photo taken from the deck as they sailed away, and on the shore she could see Merry and Kaya waving them off and if she looked hard enough, she could see the vegetable trio off in the distance, watching their captain depart.

Tucking them back into the pages of her journal, she smiled knowing that she hadn't missed out on continuing the somewhat tradition she had started as they went to and from each island, even if this time it had been done without her planning to.

"Despite being kidnapped…" Nora mumbled out, placing her items back into her bag. "I can appreciate the photos. Thank you…"

"I knew you'd like them!" Luffy said as he grinned at her before he turned and glanced at his crew. "Now that everyone's awake, let's celebrate!"

With a small shake of head at their sudden antics, she couldn't stop the small grin that came onto her face. She was here and there was no going back now. Perhaps she could become a chef on the Baratie? She was an okay cook. Whatever happened, they were still in the East Blue which was _relatively_ safe. As Zoro passed the drinks around, she gratefully took one and took a seat on the ground, watching as they began to celebrate. Taking her camera from her bag, Nora decided to add another picture to her steadily growing collection.

"To a new ship and a new crewmember!" Luffy yelled out, his smile brighter than ever. "Cheers!"

With the click of a button, Nora was able to seal that moment in an image forever.

* * *

 **This chapters a tiny bit shorter than usual but this just felt like a good place to end it! So sorry about it being a bit shorter :) Other than that, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I think there's some pretty fun parts in here and also a few more hints at what Nora is like exactly!**

 **Speaking of which, do you have any theories on Nora? I'd honestly love to know some of them because I think it'd be a lot of fun to read them.**

 **One thing I'd like to say is a major thank you to everyone! Last chapter I was thanking you all for 60 follows and now I'm thanking you for 70! It's only been a week and I've gotten up to 70 which is amazing! On top of that we've reached 25 review! You have no idea how much I enjoy sitting there and reading all of the amazing reviews you guys send in!**

 **One final thing is that I may have come up with a Bungou Stray Dogs OC. I've been so obsessed with it and I'm considering writng a fanfic for it… Would anyone be interested? If I do, it won't be for a while because this story is my main focus so I'll probably wait until the school holidays to write it. Comment your thoughts?**

 **Once again, thanks for reading and supporting this story! I hope you'll come back for the next update :)**


	8. Out To Sea

**Sorry for this chapter being a few days late! If you'd like to know why you can read the author's note at the end and laugh at my suffering**

* * *

The Misadventures of Nora

Chapter 8

Out At Sea

* * *

"You know for a while there, I thought you were actually getting over your seasickness."

"So did I!" Nora snapped at the navigator with a groan of pain. "Why does this keep happening?"

"The ship is a million times bigger than the other ones!" Nami said with a sigh as she moved over to help hold her hair back. "You seriously have a weak stomach."

"I know." She managed to get out as she leant her head along the ship's railing. "I feel like I'm dying."

When she had woken up on the ship earlier that day, the thought of seasickness hadn't even crossed her mind. There was no quesiness and no sickness in general. She pretty much forgot that she had even been getting seasick! She had felt perfectly fine and had, despite being kidnapped, been enjoying herself. That had lasted for about fifteen minutes. She had been sitting there, drinking her drink with a smile on her face when she felt the quesiness began to rise in her stomach. As soon as she felt it, she _knew_. She knew the suffering she was going to once again face.

The seasickness had come back and if anything, it had felt worse.

Now, some hours had passed and it was noon. While everyone else had been running around and exploring the Going Merry in excitement, she had been puking her guts out. At some point, Nami had taken pity on the girl and come back out in an attempt to try and find some way to ease her pain but so far, nothing had been working.

"Nora!" Luffy called out as he ran back onto the deck, Usopp chasing after him. "Are you feeling better yet? Let's play!"

Before she was able to reply, she threw her head over the railing and threw up. Again.

"I don't think she's feeling better yet." Usopp said with a slight grimace at the sight.

"I thought a bigger boat would have stopped this." She heard Zoro say as he strolled out of the ship.

"So did I." Nora replied as she slid down the railing to lay down on the deck, relishing in the cool feeling the wood gave off. "I _wish_ it had."

"Nora." Luffy whined, dragging out the 'a' as he sat next to her. "Hurry up and stop getting seasick!"

"Believe me." She said, lifting her head from the ground and sending him a glare. "If I could, I would."

"This may surprise you all…" Usopp began, walking dramatically over to them. "I'm actually a trained medical professional! I can fix the seasickness!"

"Really?" Luffy asked, his eyes wide with amazement. "Amazing."

"Liar." Zoro, Nami and Nora all said in unison.

Rolling onto her back, Nora stared up at the sky and let out a small sigh. Truth be told, she was completely over the seasickness. She just wanted to be able to relax for a while and not feel like she was dying every few minutes. She had tried racking her brain for ways to prevent or cure it but no matter how hard she tried, nothing would come to mind. Her only way to escape it would be to stay on land and away from the devil known as the ocean. Earlier, before the quesiness had hit, she had toyed with the idea of staying on the Baratie, but now, she knew this wasn't an option. If being on the Going Merry hadn't eased the seasickness, she doubted the Baratie would be much better. She'd never in her life dealt with this before even when she had been on ships!

"I know what I'm going to do!" She heard Luffy say from the other end of the deck, snapping her from her moping. "I'm going to make us a flag!"

"That's not a bad idea." Zoro mused with a nod of approval to his captain. "Every pirate ship needs a flag."

Nora watched on in amusement as he began to race around the ship, collecting all the materials that he would need. Doing her best to ignore the seasickness, she stood up and walked over so she could take a seat and watch Luffy's attempt at creating the flag. She was curious as to how he would create the monstrosity that she knew they would soon be seeing.

"What's going to be on the flag?" She asked as she watched him lay out the black cloth.

"A skull of course!" Luffy said as he dipped the brush into the white paint. "And I'm gonna make it wear a straw hat!"

"So that'll make your crew the Straw Hat Pirates then?" She queried with a small smile at the fact that the story line was slowly beginning to develop more.

"The Straw Hats?" Usopp mused from his spot against the ship's railing. "That doesn't sound to bad…"

 _One day the whole world is going to know that crews name…_ She thought as she stared out into the ocean. _It won't be long until they become the talk of the East Blue._

"Alright! Our pirate flag is done!" Luffy yelled, beginning to giggle in his excitement, standing up and presenting his flag to them. "I put a lot of thought into making our symbol!"

"Luffy." Nora said, getting to boys attention as she rummaged through her bag. "Pose for a photo!"

With his grin still in place, she snapped a quick picture of Luffy and his absolutely horrendous attempt at a pirate flag, all while the others watched on in concern.

"Why are you taking a photo?" Usopp asked with his jaw dropped at the sight of how bad Luffy was at art. "Calling him artistically challenged would be an understatement…"

"No…" Nami said with a shake of her head and a frown on her face. "This could be some sort of abstract art…"

"A pirate flag should be a symbol of death but this flag is…" Zoro began, searching for the right words. "Well… I guess it's quite terrifying in a sense."

"What do you think?" Luffy said, his happy smile stretching so far across his face that Nora felt bad for not liking it.

"You're beyond terrible!" Usopp said with a frown. "Leave all drawing to me!"

As she watched Usopp walking off to gather the supplies he needed to create a proper pirate flag, Nora shuffled herself over to Luffy. She would have walked but she didn't want to risk having her seasickness act up again.

"I liked your flag." She said with a grin, handing the photo she'd taken to him. "You can hang this inside somewhere since can't hang the actual flag."

"Thanks Nora!" He responded as he ran into the ship. "I'm gonna go stick it to the wall now!"

Laying back on the deck, a smile coming onto her face, she stared at the sky once again getting lost in her own thoughts. Honestly, she wasn't sure if the reality of this situation had hit her yet. She _knew_ she was acting to calmly but then again, that could be due to her upbringing. She _had_ always been told to not react in situations. Letting people know how you truly felt would only drag you down. But she wasn't even letting herself know how she felt…

"You completely changed the symbol!" She heard Luffy and Zoro say, shortly after the sound of a smack and a groan from Usopp.

Glancing to the side, she laughed at Usopp's recreation of the flag, complete with a long nosed skull and his pachinko in the background. Despite the symbol being wrong, it was actually some good handiwork from the sniper. As she watched him pout while working on the proper flag, she knew that it was going to look amazing once it was done. She probably could have offered to help but she didn't really feel like moving around to much. Rolling herself across the deck and lying in between a sitting Zoro and standing Luffy, she positioned herself on her stomach and watched as Usopp completed the flag.

"Wow!" Nami exclaimed as her eyes lit up. "That's perfect."

"It doesn't even look remotely like the other one." Zoro said as he heaved a sigh of relief, shuddering as he glanced over at Luffy's flag attempt.

"It is quite impressive." Nora said with a nod, sending a thumbs up the artist. "Good job Usopp!"

"That's great!" Luffy said with a nod. "Draw one on our sail too!"

"Yeah well I've honed my artistic talents by drawing on the walls of people's homes for years." Usopp bragged, practically glowing from the praise he was receiving. "I'm quite the master artist you know."

"On people's walls?" Nora questioned with a small grin coming onto her face. Her grin only widening when Usopp confirmed this with a nod. "So you were graffiting their homes? That's not very responsible,"

"Wha-? W-Wait!" Usopp said with as he jumped up. "No I wasn't! That's not what I meant!"

"Usopp!" Nami said, sending him a glare, although Nora could see the amusement in her eyes. "And here I was thinking you were a good person!"

* * *

"I hope he doesn't fall." Nora said, watching as Usopp began to the tedious task of painting the sails. "Perhaps they should have been taken down."

"Luffy will catch him if he does." Zoro said from besides her, leaning against the ship's mast with his eyes closed.

"Luffy looks to distracted." She said as she watched the ship's captain try to grapple onto some birds.

"Hey Nora." Nami said, making her way over to the pair sitting on the deck. "Your seasickness seems to be gone."

"Not entirely." She responded with a slight frown. "I can't stand up. I'm fine on the floor though."

"That means you can be a pirate now!" Luffy yelled, swinging past them with one arm stretched and latched onto the crows nest.

"You're going to make me fall!" Usopp screamed, narrowly avoiding the captain as he flung backwards and missed him by an inch.

"I take it back." Zoro said with one eye open. "Luffy won't catch him. He'll make him fall instead."

"Agreed." Nora and Nami said as they watched Usopp cling onto the ropes for dear life.

* * *

Sometime later, the skull, wearing it's soon to be infamous straw hat, was finished and painted onto the sails. As Nora stared up, she had to admit that it was an impressive sight. Just like the flag, Usopp had outdone himself. If she didn't know any better she would have thought that it had been done by a professional. Usopp and Nami, who had later gone to help when they decided Luffy was to irresponsible, were now laying on the floor in exhaustion in front of Zoro and Nora.

"Ah." Usopp let out a groan, laying on his back with Nami. "I'm tired."

"I'm glad to see you didn't fall." Nora said with a small smile. "Impressed even."

The peaceful moment of relaxation that the pair both needed and deserved was cut short by the sound of a cannon going off. She felt herself jump in shock at the sudden sound as her ears rang. Zoro woke up at the echoing sound and glanced around trying to find the source of it. To no one's surprise, the culprit was Luffy, standing in front of the cannon with a small frown on his face. As everyone made their way up to the captain, Nora knew she had to give in and get off of the floor to follow them. Slowly but surely she dragged herself up the stairs and ignored the queasy feeling that was slowly making it's way back to her. She still had quite some time to go until they went to an island that she'd be able to live on so she'd have to suck it up and get over her seasickness. There was no time like the present so for now she'd just have to brave the pain.

"Hey!" Zoro yelled out to his captain in confusion. "What are you doing all of a sudden?"

"I'm testing out our cannon! It'd be a waste not to make good use of it!" Luffy explained with the displeased frown still on his face. "But I can't get it to fire well!"

With a small groan, Nora went to stand besides Luffy and the cannon. In the distance, she could see a rock formation that sparked her memory. She felt a smile come onto her face and the sickness ease when she realised it wouldn't be long before those two made their appearance. They were a goofy pair but they certainly seemed like a lot of fun to be around. As much as she would have liked to have stayed in Syrup Village, she was glad to have the chance to meet Johnny and Yosaku.

"Stand aside my ameture friend." Usopp said as he made his way onto the upper deck.

"Try aiming for that rock." Luffy said as he pointed out the rock formation Nora had just been thinking of.

"What if there's someone on that rock?" She asked, a sly smile coming onto her face as she watched Usopp line up the cannon.

"Are you serious?" Nami said as she turned to her with a blank stare. "That things tiny! Why would anyone be there?"

Nora simply smiled as she watched Usopp fire the cannon, landing a perfect hit and making the rock formation break into pieces. She did feel sorry for Johnny and Yosaku but she knew they'd be fine. Plus Luffy and Usopp's reactions to actually hitting the rock were hilarious. She even took out her camera to snap a quick photo.

"Holy crap!" Luffy said with his jaw dropped. "You hit it on your first try!"

"You're right!" Usopp said, his expression matching Luffy's. "I did!"

Watching the comical scene play out, Nora realised how lucky she was to have ended up stuck with this pirate crew. Not in the ' _oh my god it's my favourite fictional pirate crew_ ' sense but more so in the ' _any other crew would have killed me by now_ ' sense. She began to picture how differently things would have gone if she had ended up in the South Blue with Kid or in the North Blue with Law. All of the scenarios she pictured seemed to end with her dying within the first day.

"I've decided!" Luffy said to Usopp with a sure grin on his face. "You can be our sniper!"

Before anyone had the chance to say anything, Nora ran over the edge and, for what had to be the one hundredth time, threw up. The worried looks that she first received were now replaced with laughs and grins of amusement, much to her displeasure.

"How about we go inside?" Nami suggested with a shake of her head. "Nora looks like she could use a seat."

* * *

"Alright, I guess I can settle for that for the time being." Usopp said, seated at the table. "But if you ever chicken out from your duties, I'll take charge as the ship's captain."

"Alright fine." Luffy said before turning to Nora who was laying face down on the cool stone ground in the small kitchen area. "And Nora can be our writer!"

"Not a pirate." She mumbled out as she relished in the coolness the stone sent through her body.

"Hey. I just had an idea!" Luffy said, completely ignoring her refusal once again. "There's still one crucial position of a pirate crew we need to fill before entering the Grand Line."

"That's right. We do have this fantastic kitchen after all." Nami agreed, making the mistake of assuming that Luffy would be thinking responsibly. "Of course I could do it as long as we get paid."

"An indispensable crew member for long voyages." Zoro said with a grin, falling down the same hole as Nami.

"You think so too, right?" Luffy said as he grinned in joy. "What a pirate crew really needs is…"

"A musician." Luffy and Nora said in unision. Something that she couldn't help but find ironic considering it wouldn't be until much later on down the track that Luffy would get his musician.

"Are you an idiot?!" Usopp yelled in shock, pointing an accusing finger at his captain before turning to her. "And you! You're supposed to be sensible!"

"And here I thought you were going to say something smart for the first time in your life!" Nami screeched as she reached across the table to shake Luffy. "Do you have any idea what sailing on the seas is like?!"

"B-But a pirates gotta sing!" Luffy cried out, trying to justify himself. "And Nora said it as well!"

"I just said it because I figured you'd say something stupid." She said, sticking out her tongue as she began to stand up, anticipating the arrival of Johnny and Yosaku. "I know that there's more important things for your crew to have."

" _Our_ crew!" Luffy whined with a pout. "You're a part of the crew!"

"Come out you damn pirates!" A voice, that Nora knew belonged to Johnny, suddenly shouted from the deck. "I'm gonna slaughter all of you!"

"Hey!?" Luffy said as he ran out the door at the sound of crashing on the deck. "Who do you think you are?"

"Who am I? I should be asking…" She heard Johnny say as she stuck her head around the door to watch the scene play out. She watched on as he lunged towards Luffy with his sword drawn, breaking a part of the ship's railing. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"How many enemies are out there?" Zoro asked, unconcerned as he sat and leant against the floor.

"Just one…" Usopp said as he joined Nora to peak through the door. "...I think."

"Oh." Zoro said as he closed his eyes. "Then let Luffy deal with him."

"Does that guy have a face tattoo?" Nora asked, hiding her laugh as she watched Zoro's eyes shoot open. Taking a seat at the table, she poured herself a cup of tea and chose to ignore the fight. "Oh well. Face tattoo or not, Luffy will win."

She sat there drinking her tea while doing her best to look as if she was calm. This image she was trying to project, however, was very far from the truth. She couldn't help but be excited to meet these two. Not only were they extremely funny characters, or should she be called them people now?, but they were also proof that they would soon meet Sanji. As adamant as she had been about staying on the previous islands, she could accept that she was still on the ship and that brooding over it wouldn't get her anywhere. She might as well look forward to something. In this case it just so happened to be the infamous lady killer chef, Sanji's, cooking.

"I don't hear any more fighting." She noted, placing her now empty teacup onto the table. "Is it over."

"They're done." Nami confirmed, still peeking out the door. "They're sitting and talking now."

"I'm going to go out and have a look." Zoro decided, making Nora grin as he stood up and walked towards the door.

"Me to!" She said, excitedly following after the swordsman, eager to see the pair reunite.

"Huh?" Zoro said, suddenly stopping in front of her, causing her to walk into his back. "Hey! Aren't you Johnny?!"

"Ouch." Nora muttered as she rubbed her nose with a frown. "That was mean Zoro."

"Z-Zoro?!" Johnny yelled, jumping up from the floor in shock. "Is that really you bro?"

"Where's Yosaku?" Zoro asked as he looked around for the other bounty hunter. "Isn't he usually with you?"

"H-He's… Yosaku is…" Johnny struggled to speak, a look of sadness taking over his face. "He's s-sick."

* * *

"He definitely looks sick…" Nora said with a slight grimace at the sight of the bounty hunter.

"Yeah…" Johnny said as he knelt besides his sick friend. "He was just fine a couple of days ago, but all of a sudden he turned pale and kept passing out! I don't know what he's come down with…"

He then began to list off all the symptoms that she knew to be scurvy. The teeth falling out and the old wounds reopening were a sure sign of this and she knew it wouldn't be long before Nami decided to point that out.

"I was trying to at least let him get some rest on top of that rock but…" Johnny explained, making a small smirk come onto her face. "All of a sudden this ship fired a cannonball at us!"

"I do recall saying that there might have been someone on that rock." Nora said with a smirk as Luffy and Usopp began to frantically apologise to the bounty hunter.

"We're truly, truly sorry." They said solemnly, bowing their heads in guilt.

"It's fine. What's done is done." Johnny said as he clutched his head in sadness. "If all problems could be solved with a simply apology, there wouldn't be any need for policemen."

As Johnny began his monologue on ' _Johnny and Yosauku, the infamous bounty hunters_ ', she crouched down and gave the passed out bounty hunter a small poke. This was the first time she'd ever seen someone with scurvy, a deficiency that was now very uncommon in her world. She couldn't help but give him a few pokes and look at the spots where he'd lost teeth. It was gross but she hadn't spent her time studying to become a crime scene investigator to get grossed out by a few wounds and missing teeth. Truth be told, she was actually quite proud about having a strong stomach, that is, when she wasn't on the sea.

"God, how thick could you get!" Nami yelled in exasperation. "And Nora! Stop poking him."

"What did you just say?!" Zoro yelled, offended by Nami's statement.

"Lady, I won't let you go free if you make a mockery of my partners suffering!" Johnny said as he gripped his sword.

"Luffy! Usopp! There are some limes in the kitchen! Go squeeze the juice out and bring it here asap." Nami commanded, much to the others confusion, before whipping around to yell at Nora. "And I told you to stop poking him!"

"This is the first time I've ever seen someone with scurvy though." She whined in response as she withdrew her hand. "It's really interesting."

"So you're not as stupid as you seem." Nami said with a shake of her head before turning back to Zoro and Johnny. In the background Usopp and Luffy were frantically pouring lime juice down Yosauku's throat. "He's afflicted with scurvy. If we're not too late, he should recover fine in just a few days."

"Are you telling the truth sis?!" Johnny yelled out, hope painting his features.

"Please don't call me sis." Nami said before going into her explanation on scurvy and what caused it.

"Wow!" Luffy said with a look of amazement on his face. "You're like a doctor."

This made Nora smile slightly at the thought of Chopper and Doctor Kureha. The Drum Island arc had always warmed her heart. It was just too cute.

"Yeah, I always knew that girl was special!" Usopp said with a smug grin. "Usopp's eyes are never wrong!"

"Nami's always reliable!" Nora said with a thumbs up, getting up from her crouch.

"If you're going to be sailing you should know at least this much!" Nami yelled at the pair, only taking a brief second to send Nora a smile. "God, your stupidity will be the death of all of you!"

From the corner of her eye, she could see Yosaku beginning to get up. Taking out her camera with a grin, she snapped a picture of the now dancing pair. When she went to tuck it into the folds of her journal, her grin quickly disappeared. By this stage, she had taken far too many and it wouldn't be long before they started to get bent and damaged. As Johnny and Yosaku began their introduction, she wandered down onto the lower levels of the deck and then into the ship.

Placing her journal onto the table, she carefully took all of the pictures out and laid them out along the table in the order that they had been taken. Over the past few days, she had managed to collect more than she had planned to and she truly did want to keep them all in good condition. She just needed to figure out how exactly she would be doing that.

Walking away from the table, she opened the shelves and rummaged through them, hoping to find _some_ sort of solution to the current issue at hand. Something she, unfortunately, wasn't able to find between the pots and pans. Groaning, she closed the cupboards and glanced around with small room.

"There has to be something in here…" She muttered, scanning the room and it's contents.

In doing this, her eyes locked onto what could be the solution to her problem. Along the wall to her left, the wall that Zoro had been leaning against earlier, was the photo she had given to Luffy. It was stuck to the wall with what she assumed to be this world's equivalent to blue tack. If she were to hang the photo on in the wall in here, they would be safe from the weather, they wouldn't get crumpled and she _would_ be able to look at them easily. They'd be a pain to get off when she packed her belongings to stay in Cocoyashi Village but that wouldn't be for a few more days at least…

Making up her mind, she set out on her search of the kitchen to find the glue tack. Ignoring the shouting and noise coming from outside, she began opening the drawers and cupboards and looking onto the shelves in search of what she was looking for. Much to her annoyance, it wasn't as easy to find as she had hoped. The only place left to check was under the fridge and considering that Luffy had been the last one to use it, she knew that was probably where she should have checked first.

"Aha!" She said, laying flat on the floor with the blue tack just in her reach. "Found it."

Finally managing to fish it out from under the fridge, she wiped herself off of the dust and got to work. Placing a small bit of blue tack onto the first photo, the one of Helmeppo getting punched, she stuck it to the left side of the wall. It continued like this until she'd hung all of the photos up to her most recent one of Johnny and Yosauku.

Stepping back, she couldn't help but admire both her handiwork and the photos. To think that in such a short time, she had been dragged into so many adventures by the Straw Hats. She'd be sad to have it end soon but she knew it was for the best.

"Nora!" Luffy yelled, flying in through the door in excitement. "We're going to get a chef! There's a restaurant on the sea!"

"Oh." Nora said, her childlike excitement beginning to rise. "You mean the Baratie?"

"Have you been there?" Nami asked, walking through the door with the others following behind.

"Nope." She said as she took a seat. "I've just heard rumours of Hawkeyes going there."

"Woah!" Luffy and Usopp suddenly yelled out, putting a stop to the conversation.

"This is so cool!" Luffy said as his eyes scanned the wall of pictures she had created only a few minutes beforehand. "It's photos of everything!"

"Oh, sorry about that." Nora said as she scratched at the back of her head. "I needed somewhere to put them so they wouldn't get damaged."

"What sorts of animals are these? Are they even real?" Usopp said, staring wide eyed at the pictures from Gaimon's island. "And is that a human treasure chest?!"

Nora watched on with a small smile as Luffy began to explain their adventures to Usopp, Johnny and a slightly less beaten down Yosaku. Seeing their amazed looks at the stories of the previous islands that they had visited made her happy. Perhaps she could leave the photos here for them to enjoy…

"Oi." Zoro said, making her turn her attention towards him. "You know about the hawk eyed guy?"

"You mean the best swordsman in the world?" She said, thinking back on all of his appearances in One Piece. "I've heard some interesting stories."

"Like what?" Zoro said, listening intently, ready to store any and all information on the swordsman he aimed to beat.

"That he has a questionable choice in living quarters." Nora laughed, thinking about the abandoned island that the quiet swordsman had chosen to live on. "I hear it's got cobwebs everywhere."

"That's definitely just a rumour." Zoro said, a blank look on his face as he shook his head.

* * *

"You can take the bed." Nora said to Nami later that night, glancing around the girls room on the ship. "I'm not planning to stay here for much longer so I'll be fine with the couch for a few nights."

It was now nighttime and the day had passed by without anything eventful actually happening. Yosaku's condition had picked up, much faster that it would have if this hadn't been the _One Piece_ world. Other than that and eating, nothing of any note really took place. Despite the manga and anime being seemingly action packed with something always going on, Nora could now say that she knew this wasn't the case. There was just a lot of drifting around at sea with nothing to do. She assumed the only reason she hadn't picked up on this before was because of the fact that she'd been to busy throwing up to pay attention to anything else.

Back to the point, her and Nami had now decided it was time to sleep and so, they were taking their first proper look at the girls room together. She had to admit, it was absolutely amazing. The quality of everything on the ship was amazing and it had been beautifully designed. Merry had truly done an amazing job on it.

Placing the bags containing her clothes, new and old, down onto the floor, Nora took a seat on the couch and placed her signature bag besides her. While Nami went around doing her own thing, she wanted to take a proper look at everything that was in her bag, something she had yet to have a chance to do. Between the seasickness and being chased away by angry hordes of people, she hadn't even taken a moment to think about the contents of her bag. She had her journal, camera and writing equipment so as far as she was concerned, she had everything she needed.

One by one, she took out her belongings and placed them onto the table in front of her. She was saddened, but unsurprised by the fact that her mobile phone wasn't there. If she remembered correctly, it had been in her jacket pocket when she had been hit. It must have gone flying out when the car had collided with her. Other than that, the rest of her belongings were there, safe and sound. In addition to her camera, journal and writing equipment, she had a water bottle, a packet of gum, some bobby pins, her favourite perfume (she was surprised that it hadn't shattered), a few random pieces of jewellery, her purse and some makeup.

The one item in the pile that confused her was a necklace that was tucked in with the other jewellery in her bag. It was a simple enough looking necklace on a black leather chain with a circular jewel attached to it. The jewel was what truly caught her attention. It appeared to have no discernible colour and changed with every movement that made the light flicker off of it differently. It was truly beautiful and she was certain that if she had seen it before, she would have remembered it. She'd never seen anything like it before and she couldn't figure out what sort of jewel it was.

"Where'd you get that necklace?" Nami asked as she walked over to her. "I've never seen a jewel like that before."

"Neither have I." Nora replied, almost in awe at the jewels beauty. "It's really pretty."

"Let me put it on for you." Nami said, standing behind he and moving her hair to the side. "It looks expensive so the best way to make sure you don't lose it is to wear it."

"Are you saying you're going to steal it if I don't wear it?" She replied with a small laugh, deciding that she might as well wear it.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Nami said, clasping the necklace around her neck. "This thing looks like it's worth a fortune!"

"Thanks." Nora said, moving her hair back and adjusting the necklace around her neck. "Are you going to go to sleep now?"

"I'm going to stay up for another twenty minutes or so to go over some maps." The navigator explained, walking over to sit at the desk. "I can go sit somewhere else if you're planning to sleep."

"No that's fine." She replied, getting herself comfortable on with couch with her journal and a pen. "I'm going to do some writing."

The two girls then fell into a peaceful silence, each working on their own thing as the waves crashed gently against the ship.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! First of all, I want to say that I'm so so sorry for this update being a couple of days late! Last week I actually had my school's formal (basically the Australian version of prom) so everything's been a bit hectic. I had a really good night and the food was absolutely amazing! The main thing that ended up slowing down this update though was the fact that I decided to get acrylic nails for the first time. Typing is nowhere as easy as I thought it would be.**

 **Ignoring all of that, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I feel like it's not the most exciting one to read but there are a few important events that happened. There was also some more mentions on Nora's past. Do any of you have a theory on it yet? I feel as though I might be making it to obvious so I'm curious as to whether any of you have figured out the main parts of it.**

 **Some good news is that I only have two more weeks of school before we have a two week break! I'm not making any promises but I might try to get in a few extra updates over that time - or longer chapters at the least!**

 **I hope you're all still enjoying this story! Don't forget to leave a review because they honestly make day and follow/favourite so you can know when I've updated!**

 **I'll see all of you lovely people next chapter! :)**


	9. Cheesecake, Hot Chocolate & Fights

**Guess who's back, back again, Dreamscape's back, tell a friend**

* * *

The Misadventures of Nora

Chapter 9

Cheesecake, Hot Chocolate & Fights

* * *

"Nami?"

"What?"

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"…"

"What about now?"

" _No_."

"..."

"How about now?"

"Nora if you don't shut up I'm going to _kill you!_ "

Nora had come to the the conclusion that sailing the seas with pirates wasn't as fun as it had been made out to be.

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Opening her eyes, to see what was blocking the warmth of the sun that had been fanning over her face seconds before, Nora was met with the image of Zoro standing over her. Letting out a groan of annoyance and missing the warmth of the sun, she rolled away and out of the swordsman shadow.

"I'm trying to sleep." She said, once again basking in the warmth of the sun.

"In the middle of the deck…?" She heard him ask, shortly before she heard him let out a sigh, followed by the cluttering of him sitting down.

"Yes." She said with a huff, her eyes slowly beginning to shut. "I'm sick of sailing so I'm going to sleep to avoid it."

"That sounds like a good plan." She heard Zoro say with a yawn, the sound of his joints popping as he stretched.

It seemed she wasn't the only one who was exhausted after days filled with nothing, nothing and even more nothing. The livelier onds on the boat had provided some entertainment over the first few days but by now, even they were beginning to get bored. Johnny and Yosaku had taken to playing cards, Nami was looking over some maps, Usopp was inside tinkering with something and Luffy, well Luffy was probably off somewhere causing some sort of trouble.

"It's so peaceful." Nora said with a content sigh. She was actually surprised by this uncharacteristic silence. Normally, there would be voices and footsteps coming from all directions, arguments occasionally breaking out. "I don't hear anything. It's kinda weird/"

"It's ni-" Zoro began, only to be cut of by the sound of a yell, followed shortly by a splash as something fell into the ocean.

"That sounded a lot like Luffy didn't it?" She questioned, snuggling deeper into her own arms as she stretched out further across the deck.

"Yeah it did." Zoro said as he let out another yawn and shuffled around to get comfortable.

…

"Luffy!" They screamed in unison, now wide awake, snapped out of their sleepy states and running to fish the devil fruit user from the water.

* * *

"Do I even want to ask what you're trying to do right now?" Nami asked with a sigh, staring at the scene before her with a shake of her head. "I don't think I do…"

Nora couldn't really blame her for that reaction. She had had a similar one when she had first walked onto the deck and seen Johnny, Yosaku, and Usopp performing a… well she supposed that it could be called an experiment of sorts. Essentially they were trying to see just how far Luffy could stretch. Despite knowing that she shouldn't, her boredom had gotten the better of her and she had found herself taking part in the weird, albeit fun, test. Her and Usopp were in charge of the left side of his body, she was tugging at Luffy's leg while Usopp was taking care of the arm, while Johnny and Yoksaku were doing the same thing on his right side. Zoro, wisely choosing not to get involved, had sat off to the side and lent against the mast, watching as they attempted to stretch his captain from one half of the ship to the other.

"It's an experiment. You see, I'm actually a professional scientist..." Usopp said to Nami with a grin growing on his face. She got the feeling that things weren't going to go to well from this point onwards…

As she watched Usopp become more and more invested in his lie, she felt herself pale slightly. As his grip on Luffy's arm began to weaken and her feet began to slowly slide across the deck despite her best efforts to stay still, she came to terms with the fact that she had made a serious mistake.

 _Why do I let myself get involved with these stupid things!?_

Just as that thought passed through her head, Usopp released Luffy's arm in favour of making wild hand gestures to go on with his fabricated lie. Having been to slow to release his leg, she found herself being sent flying through the air, landing in a heap along with Johnny and Yoksaku, who were groaning in pain, much like she was, and a laughing Luffy.

"That was fun!" He said with a grin as he placed his straw hat back onto his head. "Let's do it again!"

"No thanks." Nora groaned out, clutching her side in pain, her previous bruising from Jango still very evident. "I think I'll have to pass."

* * *

"We're here at the restaurant!" Came the shouting of Johnny and Yosaku. "Brother Zoro! Brother Luffy! Brother Usopp! Brother Nami. Sister Nora!"

 _That makes me sound like some sort of nun._ Nora thought with a small snort before she realised what exactly the pair had just been announcing,

Glancing up with a grin, she let out a sigh of absolute relief when she realised that they _were_ in fact at the Baratie. Packing away her journal and writing gear, she went and stood besides the others to look out at the floating restaurant. Snapping a quick picture, she admired the beautiful ship and it's brightly painted exterior. She'd never seen anything like this before and she doubted that she ever would again. It wasn't everyday you came across a floating restaurant that looked like a fish. She imagined that when Sanji's, or perhaps it was better to Duval's, face was added to the ship that it would look even more unique. Hopefully she'd be able to come and revisit the restaurant just to see that.

"What do you think everyone?" Johnny asked excitedly, his arms open and presenting the ship to them.

"It looks amazing." She said as the others voiced their own compliments and excitement towards the ship's exterior.

She couldn't stop herself from smiling fondly at their excitement, not that she was in a better state. After having spent so long out at sea, without any stops at other islands, she was ready to go somewhere different. As much as she loved the Going Merry, she didn't particularly like sailing. The one good thing that had come out of everything though was the fact she had found her sea legs, well to some extent at least. She still found herself getting nauseous every once in awhile but she was able to mess around, eat and actually function like a normal person now.

Noticing that their ship had been covered by a shadow, Nora brought her focus back to the current situation and turned to her right, feeling a look of distaste come onto her face. Besides them a navy ship, Fullbody's navy ship, had come to halt. Sending glares in the ship's direction, she waited for the annoying 'Iron Fist' to make his appearance, deep down hoping that he didn't.

 _The sooner he makes his appearance, the sooner you get to see Sanji beat him up._ Nora thought to herself, trying to look on the bright side of things as she idly played with the necklace that she still wore around her neck. For some reason, she felt as though she should keep it on. She was yet to figure out why that was: something about it just felt special.

"It's…" Usopp began, his mouth dropping in shock. "The marines!"

"When did it…?" Luffy asked with his own jaw dropping. She could actually understand his reaction though, the ship _had_ seemingly appeared out of nowhere. She was sure the oceans had been clear a few minutes beforehand.

"Lucky us." Nora drawled out with an unimpressed face as Usopp began to stress over the prospect of getting attacked. "I wonder what sort of eccentric marine we'll meet today."

"Hey!" Johnny yelled out to the marine ship, even though they were yet to see anyone on deck, something that made her shake her head. "We ain't pirates over here!"

"I'm _sure_ they'll believe that." She said, her mood only dampening more so when Fullbody appeared on the deck. "That sounds exactly like something a pirate would say to not get captured."

As much as she was glad at the fact that she would soon be able to do something other than sailing, meeting with yet _another_ corrupt marine did rain on her parade a bit. If only she could have just gone in, eaten, and not seen the marine.

"I'm the lieutenant of the marine headquarters known as Ironfist Fullbody." He suddenly yelled down to them. "Who's your captain? Name yourself."

 _This is going to get interesting._ Nora mused, leaning back with her arms crossed and getting comfortable to watch the events play out.

"I'm Luffy." He said in a rare moment of seriousness, his own arms crossed and a frown on his face. "I just finished making my pirate flag the day before yesterday."

"As blunt as ever." She whispered to Zoro, letting out a small laugh as he shook his head in reply.

"H-He said the day before yesterday." Johnny, said letting out a nervous laugh.

"Good one!" Yosaku replied with a nervous laugh of his own, gaining the attention of the marine lieutenant.

The only thing Nora could do was shake her head and watch on as Fullbody recognised the bounty hunting pair and began to make some rather insulting comments. Watching on as said bounty hunter pair decided to attack the marine, only to be beaten and thrown back onto the Going Merry within seconds, bounty posters flying from their pockets.

 _It won't be long._ She silently reminded herself. _Sanji will kick his ass._

"You sure you guys aren't super weak?" Luffy asked, staring down at the bloody and bruised duo.

"The hell are you two doing?" Zoro said with a shake of his head as the pair tried to justify themselves.

"Don't worry guys." She said, sending a grin accompanied by a thumbs up to the pair. "You did better than I would have."

"Consider yourself lucky pirates! I only came here to eat at the restaurant." Fullbody yelled down, recapturing their attention. "But consider your lives forfeit the next time you run into me when I'm not off duty."

While the others continued to fuss over Fullbody's threat and the marines, Nora noticed Nami kneeling on the floor and looking at the bounty posters that had scattered and questioning Johnny about them. She felt her heart sink slightly as Nami's picked up one particular poster. Arlong's poster. If she could do something to stop Nami from running away, from thinking that she didn't have their support, she would have. But she didn't know what to do or what to say. She could only stand and watch like the outsider she was. She once again felt useless.

"We're in deep guys!" Usopp yelled as he frantically pointed towards the marine ship. "The bastard's aiming his cannon at us!"

"I wonder if we'll sink." Nora said, deciding to channel her inner Robin.

"Don't say things like that!" Usopp shouted in horror before letting out a yelp. "He fired!"

She laughed slightly at his reactions. He had no idea what was waiting for him with the arrival of Robin. She'd manage to say things that were much more terrifying.

"Leave it to me!" Luffy yelled, jumping to stand on the ship's railing. "Gomu Gomu no Balloon!"

Nora watched on his amusement as Luffy's body inflated and Johnny, Yosaku and Usopp watched on in shock at the scene in front of them. Her amusement only grew when Fullbody glanced back to them in shock.

"You can have your cannonball back!" Luffy yelled out, only for that _not_ to happen.

"Nice aim Luffy." Nora said, watching as the cannonball crashed into the Baratie. "Maybe say things like that after you successfully do the thing."

"Just who are you giving it to, you dumbass?!" Zoro yelled as a hole formed in the roof of the Baratie while Nami sat back and groaned at the stupidity of the situation. All while this happened, Fullbody made the choice to back off and head into the restaurant, something she caught briefly from the corner of her eye. She knew this wouldn't be the only time he'd run away today.

"Would you look at that!" Nora spoke with a slight laugh, pointing to the Baratie. "Looks like some of the chefs are coming to get you Luffy!"

"I didn't mean to do it!" Luffy cried out, staring at the sight in horror, trying to back away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Nami said, taking ahold of the captain. "Go down there and explain what happened!"

And with that, Luffy was dragged off by the chefs to meet Red-Leg Zeff.

As the others took seats on the deck and around the ship, intent on relaxing, Nora decided that she couldn't bear to stand another moment on the boat doing nothing, especially when their was the Baratie right in front of them! Making a quick decision, she stood and moved to get off of the ship.

"Where are you going?" Zoro said, opening one of his eyes to glance at her curiously.

"I think I'm going to go in and have a look around." She responded, stopping briefly to answer his question. "I'm curious about this floating restaurant..."

"Shouldn't we wait to find out what happens with Luffy?" Usopp asked, watching her get off of the now docked ship.

"Knowing Luffy, it won't just be a walk in, apologise and leave sort of thing." She said with a small laugh. "We could be here a while so I might as well make the most of it."

"Don't cause any trouble!" Nami yelled down to her. "Luffy's already caused enough for us."

"Don't worry." Nora said sending them a wink. "I'll be on my best behaviour."

With shaky legs, she made her way from the docks and onto the main ship. Pausing at the door, she felt a rush of excitement take over her. Not only would she be seeing Sanji, the future chef of the Straw Hats, but she'd also be seeing Red-Leg Zeff. All while reading and watching _One Piece_ , she had constantly found herself having a fascination with the previous generation of pirates. How their stories, their interactions, led to the current story. How everything just seemed to link up so well. Being here at the Baratie was a reminder of the fact that this was _real_. She really was here and all those people she'd thought of as fictional characters were real. It was quite strange to think about, really.

Shaking off her thoughts, deciding that now was _not_ the time to have a massive freak out over the old pirates, she opened the door to the restaurant and walked in. She nodded appreciatively as she glanced around, the interior was as beautiful as the exterior. It was clean, classy and the smell… The smell was amazing. She couldn't wait to try some of the food. This restaurant reminded her of the places her father would drag her to, yet at the sametime, it was completely different. Sure it was classy and served amazing food but something about it just seemed more homey, less stiff. She didn't feel as though she was constantly being watched, people waiting for her to make one small mistake, for her to eat too fast or too slow, and provide them with something superficial to gossip about.

"Oh waiter!" She heard a voice yell, souring her mood instantly and taking away from the welcoming appeal of the restaurant.

Glancing over she saw Fullbody, along with his date, seated at a table looking as smug as ever. It was then that she saw the 'waiter' making their way towards the table. Realising what was about to happen, Nora walked further inside and took a seat. She made sure to get herself a seat that allowed for a good view of what was about to go down of course, excitement and anticipation coursing through her veins. She wasn't going to want to miss any of this.

"Can I get you anything miss?" One of the Baratie's staff came over to ask her with a smile.

"A slice of chocolate cheesecake please." She replied, only glancing down briefly at the menu, glad to have the opportunity to sate her sweet tooth. She'd figure out how she was going to pay for this later. "Oh, and a hot chocolate."

As the waiter scurried off, she turned her attention back to the fight that she knew would soon break out between Sanji and the marine lieutenant. She watched on with growing amusement as Sanji flirted with Fullbody's date making him grow more and more irritated. Nora couldn't blame the woman for being seemingly bored of her date, corrupt marines really weren't a good type.

 _Nearly there…_ Nora thought in satisfaction, watching Fullbody plant the bug in his meal. _Soon he'll be done for._

"Hey!" Fullbody yelled out with a furious tone. She was beginning to get seriously sick of hearing his voice. "Is it customary for this restaurant to serve its soup with insects?!"

She wasn't usually a fan of liars, or people like Fullbody in general, but this one time, she was glad for his actions. If it led to him being beaten up, then it led to her being happy. She had always thought that way growing up. Constantly being surrounded by those who lied for their own benefit or for childish revenge. Rather than acting on it, she'd always chosen to simply watch on in amusement as their plans crumbled. It seemed that the whole dying thing hadn't changed that aspect of her.

"What's this damn bug in my soup?!" Fullbody yelled as Sanji quickly snapped out of his brief confusion.

"Pardon me sir, but I'm afraid I do not know." Sanji replied, the perfect gentlemen. "I'm not very knowledgable about the many types of insects."

Nora laughed along with the other patrons of the restaurant, grinning widely as Fullbody's anger and embarrassment grew. It wouldn't be long before he snapped and she got to the see the show that she'd been waiting for.

 _And there it is._ She grinned, watching the moment that he snapped and swung his ironfist at the table, destroying it.

"That's not very appropriate behaviour of a marine lieutenant, now is it?" Nora asked with a smirk, filling the shocked silence that has swept across the room. "Not as refined as you pretend to be, huh?"

Now, under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have dared to say a word like that to someone who would be more than willing, and capable, to attack her. Despite being quite pathetic overall, he was a marine and he was much more physically capable than her. She knew she was smarter than him but that wouldn't help her in a real fight. The only reason she decided to comment was because Sanji was there, already preparing to attack marine. She didn't need to worry because she wasn't the focus of this fight so she'd run her mouth all she wanted. She didn't care for corrupt officers of the law.

"You were on that pirate ship." He spat at her in disgust, his anger at boiling point. "I'll deal with _you_ afterwards."

"If you manage to make it past the chef then please, do your worst." Nora replied, childishly sticking out her tongue. "I'm look forward to it."

"Now you…" He said, clenching his fist as he turned back to Sanji. "Seems like you have no idea who you're dealing with."

"Your chocolate cheesecake and hot chocolate." The waiter from before said, placing the food from before onto the table, completely unfazed by the fight. "Enjoy."

"Thank you." Nora said with an appreciative smile to the waiter.

Now with her drink and her cake, she watched on as Fullbody grew more and more aggressive while Sanji stayed in a calm, yet irritated state. Both Fullbody's date and the other chefs tried to stop the pair but it was too late. She knew that the moment he had destroyed that table and wasted the food, that had been it. Taking bites of her cake and the occasional sip of her drink, Nora watched on as the marine lieutenant, for lack of better words, had his ass handed to him, all while the others watched on in horror.

"Remember this… going against a cook on the seas is the equivalent to suicide." Sanji ground out, his teeth clenched around his cigarette and his hand gripping Fullbody's head. "Don't you dare waste food."

"I guess he won't be dealing with me." Nora mused aloud, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

It was then that one of the other chefs on the Baratie, Patty if she recalled correctly, made his arrival. It was quite humorous to see the pair of chefs arguing, especially considering that Sanji had yet to release his grip on Fullbody. As they continued to bicker about the treatment of the customer, said marine eventually escaped from Sanji's grip and huddled on the floor.

"What's with this place? How can there be a restaurant that ill-treats it's customers to this extent…?" Fullbody spoke from the floor, his anger once again peaking. "I'll close down the restaurant! I'll report this place to the government!"

"And admit that you, a marine lieutenant, was beaten by a chef?" Nora said, picturing how well that would go down with the higher ups. "I'm sure they'd just love that."

"I'll capture you and then report this damn restaurant!" He yelled, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You damn pirate?"

 _I'm not even going to bother saying it._ She thought with a shake of her head. _No one seems to listen to me when I do._

"You're going to report us, are you…? Well then, I guess I have no choice but to kill you right now." Sanji said staring down at Fullbody with a fierce glare. His attitude suddenly did a flip though when he glanced in her direction. With hearts in his eyes and hands clasped like a schoolgirl, he gestured wildly to her. "And there is no way I could let you go near such a gorgeous woman!"

 _Well it is Sanji…_ She thought with raised eyebrows. _I shouldn't be that surprised._

At this statement, Fullbody's eyes widened in terror while some of them yelled from the sidelines in attempt to stop Sanji. She did catch some of the older chefs shaking their heads at the boy's words towards her though.

"God it just gets me so angry… to see a damn spoiled brat like you!" Sanji yelled out, the chefs quickly jumping in to hold him back, Nora was surprised that he hadn't managed to break free from their grips. "Just who the hell do you think you are?"

She almost laughed when she noticed the tears in Fullbody's eyes but with much effort, she managed to hold it back. He looked like he was about to wet himself! The effort she put into not laughing was put to waste when Luffy, followed closely by Zeff fell through this roof. She watched on as the pair stood and glanced around, laughter falling from her lips.

I'm really loving the Baratie so far. She thought with a small chuckle. This is amazing.

"This is all your fault, you damn brat!" Zeff turned to yell at Luffy once he had realised what had happened.

"You destroyed it yourself!" Luffy yelled back in anger, glaring at the ex-pirate.

Taking this moment to take out her camera, Nora captured an image that she felt perfectly embodied the Baratie arc. In it, Fullbody was on the floor with tears in his eyes, Sanji was being held back by some other chefs, Luffy and Zeff were arguing while the patrons watched on in horror. She knew when she looked at the image in the future, it would almost feel as though she was back in the seat, eating the chocolate cheesecake.

 _It almost looks like a renaissance painting…_ She mused, momentarily tuning out the chaos around her while admiring the photo and taking a sip of her drink. The Fibonacci Spiral would line up with this.

"Ah! Isn't that the guy who fired the cannonball earlier?" She heard Luffy asked to himself, catching her attention. "Why's he all bloodied up…?"

"Because he disrespected the chef." Nora said, bag in hand as she moved to sit besides Luffy on the floor. "It was quite an interesting show."

"Oh Nora, you came in? Where are the others?" Luffy asked, turning to her with a smile. "Do they have meat here?"

"The others are still on the ship but I think they'll be here soon enough." She began answering his questions, returning his smile. "I didn't get any meat but I'd assume that they would have meat."

"And you!" Zeff yelled, making them glance upwards as he sent a kick into Fullbody. "Get the hell out already!"

"I think he regrets coming to this restaurant." She said, watching Fullbody groan in pain. "I kind of feel sorry for his date. I wonder if she'll be left to pay…"

"Patty! Sanji!" Zeff yelled at the two chefs who were once again fighting. "If you're gonna fight then do it in the kitchen!"

Watching as the events took place, she frowned slightly when she realised that she wasn't sure of what exactly came next. She knew that Gin and then Don Krieg would appear at some stage but she couldn't remember when… Like clockwork, a marine came bursting through the entrance yelling about an emergency and giving her the answer she had been searching for.

"Forgive me sir but…" The marine said, wide-eyed with blood dripping down his face. "He's escaped from the ship's prison!"

"This place sure is noisy." Luffy said from besides her with a huff.

"We did choose a very busy day to stop in." Nora replied, letting out a laugh. "Perhaps it's just your fate to get into trouble like this."

"The underling of the pirate Krieg has escaped!" The marine yelled in horror. "It took seven of us just to capture him in the first place, but now he's gone!"

She didn't think that that was the best thing to yell out to a restaurant full of terrified customers but it was obvious he was panicking so she couldn't put too much of the blame on him. Also sure seven people sounded like a big deal but thinking about how thousands of marines at Enies Lobby wouldn't be enough to hold off Luffy, she wasn't that impressed.

"That's impossible! He shouldn't even have the strength to move!" Fullbody yelled at him, in a state of denial. "He was on the verge of death when we captured him three days ago! Not to mention he hasn't had a single scrap of food since then!"

And there it was, another reminder of why she really was not a fan of Fullbody and other corrupt marines like him. The unjust treatment that they took part in truly disgusted her.

As the restaurant goers began to cause jump up, terror across their faces, she felt herself tense up at the shadowy figure that appeared behind the marine. Just as he had been about to ask for his lieutenant's forgiveness, the sound of a gunshot echoed through the room. She grimaced at the sight of the marine falling to the ground, blood pouring from the wound.

"Be careful Nora." Luffy told her, standing up in alarm to face the figure that she was Gin.

"One customer coming this way." Patty said, staring down the man.

"He better not start trouble in my restaurant." Zeff ground out with a glare on his face, Sanji standing besides him and remaining silent.

"A pirate?" Luffy asked, staring as he made his way in.

"Seems that way." Nora replied, watching on carefully. "From Don Krieg's crew."

Everyone one watched on, the air thick with tension, as Gin made his way through the entrance and into the restaurant. The customers looked like they were about to sprint at any second while the chefs were ready to jump at any second. She wasn't the biggest fan of being stuck in the middle of it all but as far as she could remember, nothing would happen. Yet.

"Anything will do. Just bring me some food." Gin said, sitting down and placing his feet onto the table, looking absolutely exhausted. "This place is a restaurant right?"

She watched as Patty walked over to the pirate, shocking the guests of the restaurant with his brash way of welcoming him to the restaurant. She had to give him props for trying. Gin however did seem to feel the same way, not that she could blame him either. She felt awful after not having eaten for a half a day and he hadn't eaten for three whole days.

"Pardon me dumbass…" Patty asked upon Gin's demand for food, the well meaning but nonetheless terrifying smile on his face. "But do you have any money?"

 _Why is everyone so violent in this world?_ She thought, shaking her head as Gin threatened the chef with his gun. She could only wince slightly at the sound of Patty hitting the pirate and breaking the table. _Honestly let's just relax…_

"Woah!" Luffy said, mouth open in shock. "He's pretty strong!"

"I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that." She agreed with a grimace. "Although I don't know how to feel about the people cheering."

Still kneeling on the floor and playing the tough guy act, she watched as Patty continued to attack him, telling him if he wasn't paying then he needed to leave. Glancing up slightly, she watched Fullbody sneak out through the entrance among the chaos. She once again felt a surge of hate towards the marine. One of his men had been shot and he'd just left them. If that wasn't bad enough, he'd just left someone who was a dangerous pirate alone with civilians! She remembered when she had first read One Piece she had hated him but it wasn't until now, when she was actually there, that she realised just how awful his actions truly were.

"Now then ladies and gentlemen!" Patty yelled out, doing a curtsey while Gin was passed out on the floor. "Please enjoy the rest of your meals!"

As Patty dragged the beaten pirate out onto the deck that surrounded the ship, she watched as both Luffy and Sanji watched in.

"I wonder where he's going." Luffy stated, watching as Sanji rushed to the kitchen.

"He looked a bit suspicious." Nora said, noting the way he had been moving quickly, no doubt to get food for the pirate. "He's back. That was quick."

"Let's follow him!" Luffy said in excitement. She could already see the all too familiar interest pooling in his eyes. "He's interesting don't you think?"

"Nami told me not to cause any trouble though." She replied with a sigh yet nonetheless followed after him as he made his way out to see Sanji and Gin.

* * *

"He really is interesting." Luffy whispered from besides her, for once managing to keep his voice down.

They were sat atop a higher level on the Baratie near the railing of a balcony as they looked down and watched the interactions between Sanji and Gin. It was quite a heartwarming sight but unfortunately Nora couldn't enjoy it as much as she would have liked to. Being outside the ship had reminded her that she was, in fact, on a boat and that realisation mixed with the chocolate cheesecake wasn't to good.

"He's kind." She agreed through the quesiness, thankful that it wasn't as bad as it had been when she had first got stuck on the tiny rowboat in Shells Town.

"Looks like I found a good cook." He said with a laugh, this time loud enough for the pair below to hear.

"They heard you." She drawled out as the pair whipped around at the sound of his voice. "This could be classified as causing trouble you know?"

"But he's lucky!" Luffy said with a grin, turning back to talk to Sanji and Gin again. "You got some food!"

"I apologise on behalf of him." Nora said, groaning slightly and leaning her head against the railing.

"You were almost about to die before to!" Luffy said with a bellowing laugh. "Hey cook! Join my crew will ya? Be the cook for my pirate ship!"

"Pirate ship…" Sanji said in confusion, glancing at the boy in disbelief, he then turned towards her with his lovestruck expression coming back. "That's right! That marine accused this lovely lady of being a pirate before!"

"That right!" Luffy said, jumping down to join them on the lower level. "She's my crews writer!"

"So you're really pirates?" Sanji questioned, glancing between the pair, Luffy now sitting on the railing while Nora stayed where she was, watching on. "So why'd you try to fire a cannonball at the restaurant?"

In any other situation she would have taken the time to yell at Luffy and remind him that she wasn't on his crew and that she wasn't a pirate but this time, she didn't. Instead, she took out her camera and watched as the three talked, quickly capturing an image. This was the moment that Luffy and Sanji met and she knew she would treasure this photo just as she treasured the rest. It showed Gin sitting straight, empty plate in front of him, Sanji leaning leisurely against the side of the ship, smoke coming from his cigarette and Luffy perched atop of the railing.

"Hey Luffy." She called down, briefly interrupting the conversation. "I'm gonna go back in so they don't think I've done a dine and dash. Try not to cause any trouble."

"Okay!" He replied, waving as she made her way back into the restaurant. "Get me some meat while you're in there!"

As much as she wanted to stay and watch the three interact, something about her being there just felt _wrong_. She didn't want to interupt, to ruin the moment so instead, she had decided to leave. She didn't have a reason to be there so she wouldn't be there. And also she was slightly concerned about the dine and dash part, those chefs _were_ pretty scary.

"Oi." She hear a voice say as she wandered her way back through the corridors, causing her to tense up slightly. "Come here brat."

Turning around, feeling ice running through her veins, Nora was met with the sight of… a very tall chefs hat. Letting out a sigh of relief when she realised it was Zeff, she slowly walked over to him in confusion, wondering what he wanted. She didn't think she'd caused a scene or done anything that would make him need to talk to her. The corridor she was down right now wasn't blocked off or anything, she didn't _think_ she was going somewhere she shouldn't have… Perhaps it was about Luffy? He _had_ just run off. As she tried to convince herself that she wasn't in trouble, a sudden thought dawned on her.

 _What if they thought I really did dine and dash?!_ She thought as she paled slightly, coming to a stop before the ex-pirate. _I'm gonna die aren't I?!_

If she hadn't been so busy freaking out, perhaps she would have noticed the look of recognition flash through his eyes.

"Whatever I did, I'm sorry!" She squeaked out. When he began to laugh in response, a frown crept onto her face. "Is… Is everything okay?"

"Don't look so troubled." He said, his laughter dying down. "I was simply curious about the necklace."

"The necklace…?" She asked, lifting it up to get a look at it. "What about it?"

"I met someone once who had the exact same one." He said, laughing slightly at a memory that she didn't know. "Told me it was rare and that I'd never see another one."

"I guess they were wrong." She replied, assuming that it must have been some old lady with an necklace that she had bought overpriced at some market.

"I don't know about that." He muttered so quietly that Nora only just heard it. His calm exterior suddenly deteriorated as if he had remembered something important. "You were with that straw hat kid weren't you? Where'd he run off to?!"

"Just out there." She said, gesturing to the door she had just come through and cringing as the man rushed out their in anger.

 _Sorry about that Luffy…_ She thought, hoping that he didn't get to much of a lecture. _Now I should go back and see if the others have come in yet…_

* * *

"Nora!" She heard her name being called out across the restaurant.

Turning in the direction that it had come from, she smiled upon seeing Nami, Zoro and Usopp seated around a table and enjoying some food and drinks. Walking over, she slid into the seat between Zoro and Nami, grabbing a piece of bread and beginning to eat it.

"Where've you been?" Zoro asked, looking at her curiously.

"You better not have caused any trouble!" Nami said, letting out a happy sigh as she took a sip of her drink. "Everything tastes delicious here so I'd like to stay on their good side."

"That's going to be hard with Luffy working here for the next year." Nora replied with a small laugh. "It won't be long before they kick him out of the kitchen."

"A whole year?!" Usopp cried out, his jaw dropping. "How are we going to go to the Grand Line if he's busy being an errand boy!?"

"That idiot." Nami groaned while Zoro let out a hearty laugh.

"I'm sure everything will work out well in the end." She said with a smile laugh of her own. "And if not, at least the food will be good."

"Speak of the devil." Zoro said, grinning as he watched his captain walk down the stairs.

"I told you they'd kick him out soon." She said with her grin growing. "Who would have known it'd be this soon?"

"Hey errand boy!" Nami called out, just as she had done to Nora before with a grin and a wave.

"Heard from Nora that you have to work here for a year." Usopp said, smirking and letting out small laughs of enjoyment."

"Would it be alright to redraw the ship's flag?" Zoro asked, leaning back to face his captain with a smirk.

"Maybe then I'll actually be able to stay on the next island." She said, grinning teasingly at the pirate captain, much like his crew. "That doesn't sound to bad…"

"You leave me here to work and go off to eat delicious foods all by yourselves?! How selfish!" Luffy yelled at them in return. He then pointed an accusing finger at her. "And you said you'd get me meat!"

"Sorry about that Luffy." She said with a laugh, patting his shoulder. "I don't think Zeff would like seeing you eating instead of working."

"It's a free world, we can do whatever we want." Zoro said, turning his head away while Luffy scowled and placed some snot in his drink. He then turned and grabbed said drink, going to take a sip, much to their amusement. "But I have to admit, the food here is great. Don't take this the wrong way but…"

Unable to contain her laughter anymore and not really caring for the disapproving stares of the other customers, Nora broke down in a fit as Zoro quickly jumped to place the glass to Luffy's lips. It had been so long since she had felt to relaxed and didn't need to care about what others around her thought. She may as well enjoy it while she can.

"You're drinking this glass!" He yelled in irritation, catching Luffy off guard and causing him to swallow it. She felt quite sorry for him.

"How could you do this to me?!" Luffy cried out in horror, now on the ground with his tongue stuck out in disgust.

"I should ask you the same thing!" Zoro yelled, now standing from his chair.

"You guys are idiots!" Nora cried out, hunched over the table in her fit of laughter, trying to stop the small giggles. "You're causing a scene!"

As if they hadn't been causing enough of a scene as it was, Sanji came rushing over with hearts practically swirling around him. Knocking Luffy and Zoro out of the way, he came and stood before Nora and Nami, his arms spread with a lovestruck look on his face.

"Oh no." Nora groaned, not looking forward to being on the receiving end of Sanji's lovesickness.

She'd dealt with a small bit of it earlier but this time, with Nami with her, she'd be taking on the real deal. As Sanji began to speak in a way that reminded her of Shakespeare, all she could do was shake her head. Nami didn't seem to bothered by it but she could see at Luffy, Zoro and Usopp were confused at his actions. She let out a sigh of relief when she noticed Zeff leaning against the wall and watching on in disapproval.

"But alas!" Sanji said, clutching at his heart. "'Tis tragic there is such a great obstacle standing between the three of us!"

"By obstacle, do you mean me Sanji?" Zeff said, causing Sanji to jump and let out a curse of shock, his lady killer mode being dropped.

"Thank god." She said, relaxing back in her seat. "It's over."

"It's a good chance. Just go and be a pirate." Zeff said, standing off the wall and taking a step towards them, continuing to speak despite Sanji's confusion. "I don't need a guy like you in my restaurant."

As the pair began to argue back and forth, Nora decided to take this chance to get some more of the delicious food into her. It wasn't exactly peaceful but she knew this would be the most peace she'd have for quite some time. Once Krieg and his crew arrived it would be full on. Besides, there really was no point letting all the food go to waste. When Zeff grabbed Sanji to slam into the table, she quickly grabbed her plate and accepted that she wasn't going to get peacefulness, even now.

"You can try to chase me out all you want but I'll continue to cook here, ya hear?" Sanji yelled in anger at his mentor, his statement making Nora smile slightly. He may not have realised it yet but what he was saying wasn't true. "Until the day you die at the very least."

"I ain't dying." Zeff said, turning his back and walking away. "I'll live for another hundred years."

 _Well if Doctor Kureha can do it, I don't see why Zeff can't._ Nora contemplated with a thoughtful frown. _I wonder if I'll make it to one hundred…_

"Alright! He gave you permission!" Luffy said with a laugh, turning to Sanji. "Now you can be a pira-"

"As if!" He yelled in response.

 _I don't think I'll even make it to twenty if I stick around them…_

* * *

 **So I just want to start of this chapter by saying a massive thank you! As I'm writing this, this story has 110 follows which is absolutely insane! When I first started this story I was convinced no one was going to read it so to have this many people who follow the story and look forward to the new chapters is just so amazing. As if that wasn't already amazing enough, the last chapter actually got 12 reviews! I love reading all of your reviews so much and to those who left some, thank you so much for taking the time to write them out and share your thoughts!**

 **Now moving on, how do you guys feel about this chapter? I actually had a lot of fun writing this! The Baratie arc is going to provide more opportunity for me to include more of Nora's independant options so I'm super pumped for that! Plus the Straw Hat crew is really starting to come together which I love! There was actually quite a few important things to note in this chapter about her past (also her future *hint hint*). Have you formed any theories on her past yet?**

 **Like I said last chapter, school holidays are very soon! (as in 2 days away so I'm super excited!) I have two weeks off so I'm hoping to either update 3 (maybe 4?) chapters rather than just two or perhaps just write longer chapters. Don't kill me if neither of these things end up happening!**

 **Well anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you all for the next one (at least I hope I will). Follow/Favourite so you can know when I update and please leave a review so I know what you're thinking about the story and Nora :)**


	10. Mouthing Off Again

**PLEASE READ! I promise this is important.**

 **I'll make this quick because I don't usually like to put actual author's notes at the beginning of chapters but I just have two things that I want all of you to actually read!**

 **1\. I have something planned to happen in this story but I'm wanting a bit of a second opinion on it and how it should happen. If you're okay with spoilers and want to help me out with your opinions, PM me (or leave a review telling me and I'll PM you) so we can talk.**

 **2\. After reading some of Tsume Yuki's stories (an absolutely amazing One Piece author that I'm sure you all know), I found her Tumblr dedicated to her writing and realised just how fun it seemed to have an easier way to interact with you all and post pictures and previews or answer some questions. So basically, would you like me make a Tumblr for my fanfic writing. It'd be kinda like Tsume Yuki's so check hers out if you don't get what I mean (the url is tsume-yuki)**

 **Now that I'm done boring you, go on and enjoy the chapter! :)**

* * *

The Misadventures of Nora

Chapter 10

Mouthing Off… Again

* * *

"Well that was intense." Nora murmured as Sanji stormed off. She knew it wouldn't be long before he returned though.

"He really is interesting." Luffy said, adjusting his apron. "He's a good chef for us!"

"Didn't he just refuse though?" Usopp said with a shake of his head. "I don't think he wants to be a pirate."

"Well Nora keeps refusing but she's still here." Zoro pointed out as he took a sip of his drink.

"You've literally been kidnapping me!" She yelled, pointing an accusing finger towards him. "I was going to stay in Syrup Village and you carried me off!"

"We couldn't leave you behind though!" Luffy protested, laughing at her anger. "You're on my crew!"

Before she was given the chance to reply, Sanji swirled in out of nowhere with two cups of fresh fruit, along with some wine. Bracing herself for the flirting and heart eyes that she knew was coming, Nora leant back in her seat and let out a sigh.

"Forgive me for that ruckus just now." Sanji spoke, placing the delicious looking fruit and wine in front of her and Nami. "As an apology please enjoy this fruit macedonia and this glass of Grand Marnier."

 _Grand Marnier…_ She was pretty sure that was a drink back in her world and if she remembered correctly, she had _hated_ it. She never really was one for alcoholic drinks, except for the fruity ones that is. Although she didn't particularly enjoy wines and champagne, she could stomach them after having to do so at all the dinner parties and galas her father had dragged her to.

"It looks delicious…" Nora murmured, her mouth practically watering.

"Hey! What about us?!" Usopp said, eyeing up the fruit and wine with a glare towards the cook. "This is gender discrimination! I'll sue, you love crazy cook!"

"I don't think you'd be able to afford to sue him." She said with a small laugh. Turning away from the now arguing Usopp and Sanji, she took a spoonful of the fruit and let out a contempt sigh. "This is amazing."

"You gonna drink that?" Zoro said, pointing towards her untouched wine.

"Nope. You can have it." She said with a shake of her head, pushing the glass towards him. She then turned to face Nami, frowning at the ruckus Usopp and Sanji were making. "Can you shut them up?"

"I suppose I could." Nami responded. Nora let out a groan when she could practically see the beri signs forming in her eyes. "It'll be added onto your bill though."

"My bill…?" She responded, a sinking feeling appearing in her stomach. She did not like where this was going.

"From the clothes." Nami explained, an innocent smile on her face. "You're at ten thousand beri so far!"

"Ten thousand?!" Nora screeched, practically jumping out of her seat. "I gave you back the two thousand berri that I didn't spend!"

"It's the interest for not having paid me back yet."

"You're evil. A demon."

 _At least she's shutting them up…_ She thought with a pout on her face, watching as Nami talked with Sanji _. I just hope it doesn't add too much to my 'bill'._

"Then the food shall be free of charge for you two ladies!" Sanji yelled, spinning in a circle with a love-struck look before he turned to Usopp with a glare. "You're paying though."

As she watched him walk away, stopping briefly to greet some other female customers, she shook her head with a frown. He really was too easily manipulated by women. He was kind though.

"Stop frowning." Nami said, flicking her forehead lightly. "I got both of us free food."

"Judging his interactions with the other female guests, I don't think that would have been that hard." Nora replied with a flat look towards the navigator, her exasperation evident. Nami simply winked in response.

"You're a real witch, aren't you?" Zoro said, staring at Nami with a frown and gritted teeth. She couldn't help but agree with the swordsman.

* * *

Later that evening, they returned to the Merry with their stomachs full of delicious food. By they, Nora meant everyone minus Luffy who had been hard at work all day.

"Do you think we'll actually be stuck here for a year?" Usopp asked with a sigh, sitting on the deck. "I don't want to have to see that cook everyday for a whole year."

She couldn't stop the laugh that escaped at that statement. Watching the friendships between the Straw Hats develop really was entertaining. He had no idea what was coming.

"I think he's fine." Nami said with a smile, happily skipping onto the deck.

"You're only saying that because you're eating free!" Usopp yelled out, still angry about having to pay. "I can't afford to eat here for the next year!"

"We won't stay here for a year." Nora cut in, sympathetically patting his shoulder. "I'm sure Luffy will figure out someway to repay the debt quickly."

"Yeah and however he does that is going to cause more trouble for us." Zoro said with a laugh. "He better hurry up and figure it out though."

She couldn't agree more, she needed to get to land again. She was so sick of being at sea and in a constant state of mild nausea. It was awful. She never would have thought she would wish for a pirate attack to hurry up but right now, that was all she wanted.

* * *

Two days later, Nora sat in the Baratie, alone at a table taking small sips from a delicious hot chocolate that Sanji had prepared for her. It had seemed that that was all she had been drinking recently. The moment he had caught word that she liked them, he was waltzing over to her with a hot chocolate in hand whenever she stepped into the restaurant.

"Is the drink to your satisfaction Nora-chwan?" Sanji asked, elegantly sliding into the seat across from her.

"It's amazing as always." She replied, sending a smile to the chef. "Thank you Sanji."

Over the past few days, her and the chef had actually managed to have a few decent conversations, much to her surprise. There was still over the top flirting but she had come to realise if she just brushed it off, they could actually talk about things and got on quite well. It was somewhat a relief to her that she didn't have to have him constantly walking around with hearts in his eyes.

"You seem a bit distracted though." He said from across from her, capturing her attention. "I was worried you were sad."

"I'm not sad." She said, smiling gratefully at his concern. "I'd just like to get back onto solid ground soon. I'm not the best at being on the sea."

"Then I will steal a ship and row us to the nearest island!" Sanji proclaimed, the hearts once again in his eyes. "We can run away and live a romantic life!"

"And let someone else become the next head chef?" Nora asked, knowing exactly how to break him from his womanising moods. She watched in amusement as his mood quickly soured. "Zeff would probably love that."

Zeff was another person on the Baratie that she had surprisingly had some conversations with. She wasn't sure what to think of their interactions if she was being honest. It was nothing over the top like her interactions with Sanji, it was moreso quick 'hellos' and nods of acknowledgement. Every Time it happened, she'd notice his eyes flicker down to her necklace briefly, a small frown appearing on his face. She choose to simply brush it off. It was a strange looking necklace after all. She'd noticed some other customers eyeing it down as well over the past few days.

Nora's attention was snapped away from her thoughts when the sound of a glass shattering echoed through the restaurant.

 _Is it finally time?_ She wondered, glancing around the restaurant and noticing the terrified looks on the other customers.

"It's Don Kreig's flag!" One of the restaurant goers yelled, confirming her thoughts.

At this yell of terror, all hell broke loose. Everyone, from the customers, the chefs and even Sanji was clearly worried. Nora knew she should have been running in fear or screaming in horror but instead she was simply leaning back in her chair with a smile on her face.

 _It's finally time!_ She silently celebrated, doing her best to conceal her grin to avoid looking like an insane person _. I'm going to be on dry land soon! I'm going to be free of the evil known as sailing!_

"Talk about a huge ship!" Luffy said, wandering over to them with a smile. "Gin must've come here to repay his debt to you!"

"Somehow I don't think that's the case…" Sanji said, standing from his seat. "But it is strange..."

Getting up from her seat she walked over to one of the windows to get a proper look at the ship and when she did see it, she felt her jaw drop. She had known it was going to be destroyed but to see it in a state as bad as this was truly horrifying. It was yet another reminder of how terrifyingly strong some of the people in this world were. She was becoming increasingly worried for Zoro. He would soon be going up against the same man that had done this.

"To turn a gigantic galleon of that size into that sad state… That's no work of humans." Sanji said around a lit cigarette. "They must have been caught up in some natural disaster."

As Nora stared at the sorry state of the once grand ship, she felt as though a 'natural disaster' was a very valid way of describing Dracule Mihawk.

When she suddenly heard loud gasps coming from around the restaurant, she turned and looked towards the doorway to see that Don Krieg had finally made his appearance. His beaten and starved appearance along with the fact that he was being supported by Gin made him seem a lot less intimidating than people seemed to think he was.

"Sorry for intruding… but could I have some water… and food?" He rasped out, unhealthy sounding pants escaping his mouth. "If it's money you want, I've got plenty."

"He looks a bit worse for wear." She noted, glancing over his worn appearance.

"He looks like he's starving." Luffy said, nodding along with her comment.

"Wonder what happened…" Sanji said with furrowed brows.

"I'd say it has something to do with the person that destroyed that ship…" Nora said, paling at the thought.

"Person…?" Luffy asked, turning to her in confusion, making her eyes widen slightly.

"I meant thing." She quickly said. She let out a sigh of relief when Krieg collapsed to the floor and took Luffy's attention away from her and her words.

"I'm begging you! Please give him some food and water!" Gin yelled out, a look of desperation on his face as he crouched besides his fallen captain. "Please save my captain! He'll die at this rate!"

As Nora watched the scenes play out in front of her, she realised that the world was truly a strange place. Nothing was simple and there was no such thing as good and evil. On one hand there was Patty and the chefs along with the guests calling for the man's hunger to be used to their advantage, to arrest the fearsome pirate and on the other hand there was Gin begging for his captains life to be saved. In this situation, who was the evil one? Which side was being immoral? She couldn't decide because she could look at this situation from both perspectives. Being scared of the pirate captain and his crew was completely reasonable, he was an outlaw who went around causing trouble but then she pictured Luffy being in that situation. If she didn't know him, if she saw him as only the wanted criminal from the newspapers that he would soon become, would she want him to starve? She didn't know. Despite being corrupt and awful, if it were Fullbody in this situation everyone would be jumping to feed him because he was a marine.

That one quote that she recalled Doflamingo saying when she had watched the Marineford arc, about the winners becoming justice was beginning to make more and more sense to her. It didn't matter who the person was, instead people looked at what side they were from. She knew that Don Krieg was evil but if Luffy, someone who was good was in this exact situation, he would have received the same treatment. People didn't look at the individual. Even with all of these thoughts in her mind and the knowledge of what Krieg would do when he was fed, she couldn't decide which side was right.

 _This is hurting my head to think about…_ She thought with a sigh. _The concept of and good and evil is weird._

"Hey move it Patty!" Sanji yelled, sending Patty flying with a kick. Walking over towards Gin, he handed him a plate of food and some drink. "Here Gin, give this to him."

As Don Krieg kneeled there, desperately shovelling the food into his face with tears in his eyes, Nora decided that Sanji's course of action had been the right thing to do. Despite being an awful person, she could see the true relief on his face as he ate the food so desperately. Sanji was one of the few people that could truly decide the right path in this situation.

As one of the outraged chefs began to yell at Sanji to take back the food, listing all of the horrible things that Don Krieg had done, she retook her seat and prepared herself for the long day she was about to have. It would probably be in her best interests to stay inside the restaurant when the fights started but she did want to see Hawk Eyes… She'd just have to make a decision when the time came.

When Sanji was sent flying across the room by an attack from Don Krieg, she winced slightly. Saying that that would have hurt would be an understatement. From besides her, Luffy let out a gasp of shock as he watched Sanji skid across the floor.

"Nice restaurant you've got here." The infamous Don Krieg spoke, now full of energy and holding back a protesting Gin. "I'll take it."

"And so the real show begins." Nora muttered as silence swept across the room. "Should I run away? Or do I stay and watch"

Almost as if a switch was suddenly flicked on, the guests all sprinted from the restaurant in horror, jumping onto one of the boats that had been docked just outside the doors. Part of her wanted to follow them and get to some nice solid land but she figured she was this far in that she might as well see it all through. Plus she didn't want to end up on some awful island.

"Hey Gin!" Luffy yelled out with clenched fists. "Are you alright?"

"You all good Sanji?" She asked, crouching down to the chef who was rubbing his shoulder. "That looked pretty painful."

"I'm fine Nora-chan." He replied, the situation to tense for him to go into his womanising mode.

"My ship's all worn out so I've been wanting a new one." Don Krieg said, standing tall with a glare on his face. "Once my business is done with you, I'll have you get off this ship."

"What a charming one this guy is." Nora muttered with a shake of her head as he began to tell them about the men on his ship and ordering that they were given food. "I'd say he's worse than Fullbody."

"I'm ordering you and nobody disobeys my orders." He ground out when some of the chefs protested against his demands, knowing full well that they would be attacked if they were to do as he said.

"Sanji, you bastard! It's because of you that we're in this-" Patty turned to scold him, only to see the younger chef walking off. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?"

"To the kitchen." Sanji said, keeping his back turned. "To prepare enough food for one hundred people."

"He would make a good chef for your crew." She said to Luffy, a small smile coming onto her face as Sanji continued to stand tall despite the other chefs pointing guns at him. "You should definitely take him with you."

"Yeah." Luffy said, nodding with a small smile. "He'll be the perfect chef!"

Having seen all of this before, Nora turned to stare wistfully out the window. It wasn't that she didn't want to watch or that it was boring, it just felt odd to her. Seeing these scenes that she had watched and read just didn't feel right. No matter how long she spent with them, she doubted she would get used to it. It was like she was constantly experiencing déjà vu.

Jumping at the sound of a cannon going off, she whipped her head around to see Patty firing a hand held cannon towards Don Krieg. Everyone watched on in shock as it collided with him, thinking that the attack had been successful, but she knew better. If attacks like that took down the villains in _One Piece_ , it would have nowhere near as many chapters or episodes.

"Whoa!" Luffy said with a gasp as the pirates reappeared in the doorway, his golden armour visible. "His bodies gold and shiny!"

"That's his armour Luffy." Nora said with a laughed, patting his head fondly. Despite always feeling somewhat out of place, she could always count on him to cheer her up with his comments.

When the chefs charged towards the captain, she took a step to stand behind Luffy and avoid the bullets that Krieg began to fire at them, flinching at the sound of the gun. That was another part of this world she wasn't too fond of. The violence all seemed so real. As much as she loved seeing Luffy punch the villains, she wasn't too fond of guns and blood.

"I should've stayed on the ship today." She groaned, watching as the chefs fell to the ground in pain. "Maybe it's not to late for me to sneak out…"

"You would've have been safer there." She suddenly heard Zeff say as he walked past her with a bag of food, ignoring the shouts of the chefs. "But your skin wont thicken if you stay hiding."

"Well the skin doesn't do anything if you're dead." She muttered, watching as he dumped the bag in front of Krieg.

"There's enough food here for a hundred people." He told the pirate with a glare. "So hurry up and bring it to your men!"

Watching Don Krieg's face carefully, she watched as it paled when he heard the name Zeff. People's knowledge of the older pirates, especially from what she'd seen in the East Blue, was quite strange. There were some people who seemed to know all the tales and then there were those that didn't even believe that the Pirate King had been real. Would people see Luffy that way some day? Would he be no more than a legend?

"That's only if they still have any fighting spirit left at all…" Zeff said to his chefs that yelled about how he and his men would attack the Baratie. "Isn't that right, defeated warriors of the Grand Line?"

"Grand Line?" Luffy gasped from besides her.

"Looks like he wasn't strong enough for the Grand Line." She mused. "What a terrifying ocean."

"You're Red Leg Zeff!" Don Krieg suddenly exclaimed, now snapped from his shock.

As he went into a rant about his history as a pirate, she watched on sadly as Sanji's face fell at the mention of his missing leg.

"Red Leg Zeff, you're a man who once braved the waters of the Devil's Hideout, the Grand Line itself. Not only that, you returned without injury!" Krieg shouted out, making her frown. She could practically see the idea forming in his head. "You must've kept a log during your time in the Grand Line! So what I'm getting at is hand over that log to me!"

"Cool!" Luffy said, turning to Zeff excitedly. "You've been the to Grand Line, old man?"

"Red Leg Zeff is such a cool epithet…" Nora murmured as Zeff denied the order from Krieg.

"Then I'll just steal it from you! It's true that I cam back defeated from the Grand Line, but even so, I'm still the mighty Don Krieg!" He yelled in anger, clenching his fist. "That ocean shrouded by darkness, the mention of which alone causes weak men to tremble in their boots. I had enough power to conquer the sea! Enough man power! Enough ammunition! The only thing I lacked was information!"

"I doubt information would stop you from getting cut down by one man." Nora spoke, no longer being able to hold her tongue in the presence of someone so irritating. As his and Gin's heads whipped around to face her, she continued with a small sigh. "You're in denial. That guy was too much for you. Reading about someone else's experiences wouldn't have saved you. You can't predict what will happen in the Grand Line and who you'll meet. It doesn't work like that."

"You…" Krieg ground out, his teeth clenching. "How do you know about _that?"_

"There are few things, or should I say people?, that can cut a galleon so cleanly." She replied, doing her best to hide her fear. "Your refusal to accept the truth doesn't hide it."

"Say what you want but I simply did not know enough!" He bellowed at her, causing her to flinch. "That is why I'll steal the travel log and this ship!"

When the chefs once again began to protest against his demands, he immediately yelled for silence and began another one of his irritating monologues. With the directions it was going in, Nora had a pretty good idea that Luffy would soon interrupt.

"Once I obtain Zeff's travel log, I'll reassemble my pirate fleet and find the One Piece to become the greatest pirate of this era." He spoke.

And there it is. She let out a small laugh as Luffy stepped forward, a fist clenched with a frown on his face.

"Hold it right there!" He yelled, pointing a finger towards Krieg. "The one who'll become the Pirate King is me!"

"I agree." Nora said, nodding as the chefs began to freak out while Zeff watched on in interest.

From the corner of her eye, Nora saw a sudden spark of green that caught her attention. Turning in the direction with a grin, she sent a small wave to Zoro and Usopp who were seated at a table not to far away, watching Luffy in amusement. While all the attention was away from her, she quietly made her way over to the table and took a seat between the two.

"Interesting show, isn't it?" She said, laughing at the shocked looks on the faces of all the chefs. "Luffy always manages to make things interesting."

"That's one way of putting it." Zoro said, smirking at her. "But are you one to talk?"

"Yeah!" Usopp said with an accusing nod. "You were mouthing off one of the most fearsome pirates of the East Blue before!"

"Luffy's worse though." She said, a statement to which neither of them could disagree with.

"He's gonna get us killed before we make it to the Grand Line. If _I_ was capt-" Usopp agreed, his nose pointed in the air, letting out a yelp when Nora flicked his forehead. "Hey! What was that for?!"

"Be quiet." She said, pointing to Luffy and Don Krieg. "It looks like something interesting is going to happen.

"Hey! Stand back down kid!" Patty yelled in alarm, having no idea what Luffy was actually capable of. "You'll be killed!"

"I'm not standing down!" Luffy said with a grin. "Especially on this point!"

"Of course he wouldn't stand down." Zoro muttered with a grin. She could see the pride in his captain on his face.

"Did you say something, little brat?" Krieg spoke with a scowl on his face, glaring at Luffy. "I'll be nice enough to let your comment just now slide."

"It's fine. You don't have to let it slide." Luffy said, making Nora internally cheer him on. "I was only stating the truth."

"This ain't a game." He said looking him dead in the eye.

"Of course." Luffy said, nodding along.

As Nora focused on the scene in front of her, Zoro and Usopp continued to discuss the prospects of dying if they were to go to the Grand Line.

"Did you hear that just now? Even Krieg couldn't make it there!" Usopp shouted, drawing the attention of the shell-shocked chefs. "I won't say anything bad so let's just give up on going to a place like that!"

"Just keep your mouth shut." Zoro said, shaking his head slightly.

"To late to back out now." Nora said, placing her arm around his shoulder in mock sympathy. "That's the life of a pirate."

"You planning to rumble, Luffy." Zoro spoke, as cool and collected as always, his sword draped over his shoulder with a smirk on his face. "Need a hand?"

"Oh, hey Zoro, Usopp. I was wondering where you suddenly disappeared to Nora." He said, turning to face them. "No it's fine. You can just stay sitting."

"Are those your crew mates?" Krieg spoke, a mocking laugh escaping his lips. "A rather small bunch, aren't they?"

"What are you talking about?" Luffy said with a frown. "I've got two others!"

"Hey, you just counted me in, didn't you?" Sanji said with an exasperated look.

"I'm not on his crew." Nora added quickly before letting out a defeated sigh. "And of course no one's listening."

"Don't joke with me punk! Even my fleet of fifty ships and five thousand pirates were utterly decimated by that devilish sea in just seven days." Krieg yelled, making Nora snort. It wasn't the sea; it was one of the seas warlords. "It was because we lacked information!"

"Did you hear that just now?" Usopp cried out with tears streaming down his face, pounding his fist on the table. "Fifty ships gone! In just a single week!"

"Fifty divided by seven is seven point one four." Nora said, mentally doing the calculations. "That means he was losing fourteen point two percent of his fleet each day. That's pretty scary."

"Heh, sounds interesting." Zoro said while Usopp whimpered at her input.

Walking over to pick up the bag of food, it seemed that Don Krieg would finally be going back to his ship. He left them with a warning to Luffy to stop 'bluffing' and an extension for when he would take the ship. With one final warning that he would kill anyone who was still on the ship when he returned, he walked out the door with the food slung over his shoulder.

"He's finally gone!" Nora said, letting out a huff as she stretched in her chair. "Man that guy was irritating."

"You know, I really thought we'd walk in and see you shaking in your seat at the sight of the East Blue's most fearsome pirate." Zoro said, turning in his chair to face. "Instead you were sat there mouthing him off."

"For someone who claims they aren't a pirate you always end up acting like one." Usopp said, nodding along in agreement to Zoro's statement.

"How does getting annoyed by annoying people make me like a pirate?" She huffed out, choosing to ignore the arguments that had suddenly broken out between the chefs. "Plus that guy isn't even scary! Luffy could kick his ass."

"Silence you numbskulls!" Zeff suddenly yelled at his chefs, putting a halt to their conversation. "Have any of you ever been hungry enough to die…? Do any of you know just how terrifying and painful it is, to be stuck in this ocean, deprived of food and water?"

Nora knew that she didn't and neither did any of the chefs. It seemed that Zeff, Sanji and Gin were the only ones who knew that feeling. She had never felt that way, felt the emptiness in her stomach. She had, after all, grown up in a family that could easily provide food. Although the context was different, it was a reminder to her of how differently she had grown up to many people in both her world and this world.

"If you've got time to be crying over spilt milk," Zeff spoke, standing tall. "Then just leave this place using the back door."

"They all look motivated." She noted, watching as the chefs all prepared to fight. From the corner of her eye, she could see Sanji and Gin talking.

"They're some scary chefs." Usopp said with a gulp.

"Hey! What do you think about him?" Luffy asked, walking over to them and taking a seat on the table. "Pretty good right?"

"Who cares about him!" Usopp said frantically jumping from his seat. "If we don't get out of here soon…"

"Calm down." Zoro said, leaning back in his chair. "Our enemies are wounded pirates."

"Yeah." Nora nodded in agreement with a laugh. "You took on Captain Kuro so you can take on a hundred or so wounded pirates!"

"That's right! And besides, I have to fight with that guy. If he truly is strong than he and I are going to butt heads eventually anyways!" Luffy said with his all to familiar grin. It was alarming how used to them she was getting. "Oh that's right! Gin. You said you didn't know anything about the Grand Line. But didn't you guys go there?"

"What I don't know is the truth… I just can't believe it… I just don't know if those seven days we spent in the Grand Line were real or just a nightmare." Gin explained, trembling on the ground in fear. "I'm still wrestling with it in my mind. He just appeared all of a sudden. To think, all fifty ships were destroyed by a single man!"

At this statement, once again, all hell broke loose around the restaurant. Shocked shouts and cried were coming from everyone. Even Zoro had sat forward with a uneasy look on his face. Nora simply sat and observed the reactions to the information she already knew.

Observing was something she found herself doing quite often in this world and truthfully, she didn't like it. She was conflicted though. She usually liked to be involved in things, doing things, saying things, yet in this world, doing or saying the wrong thing could get her killed! She'd already died once and she'd rather a few more decades pass before she did it again. She wasn't ignorant. She was weak, she'd been thinking about that the whole time but recently her boredom was getting the better of her. From Fullbody to Krieg, she'd broken from her role as an observer so she didn't feel so isolated. That was why she needed to break away from the Straw Hats. She couldn't live her life watching them, knowing what was coming. Just like in her previous life, she was unable to hold her tongue when she needed to and sooner or later, someone would punish her for that.

She could only be thankful that her father wasn't in this world.

"So Nora just wasn't going on about nonsense?" Usopp finally managed to get out with a gulp, drawing her attention from her thoughts. When she caught the look on Zoro's face, she realised that Gin must have mention Mihawk.

"Like I said, a ship doesn't just get naturally sliced." She said, shaking her head. Suddenly getting up from her seat, the irritation of being an observer finally getting the better of her she called out to Zeff. "Do you mind if I use the kitchen?"

"This ship is about to be attacked and you want to use the kitchen?" The chef responded, his eyebrows rising. "Well do whatever you want."

"Thank you." She said, happily walking off and ignoring the incredulous looks being sent her way.

Walking up the spiralled stairs in the centre of the room, she brainstormed what she would actually do in the kitchen. She didn't want to spend to long in there because much as she was bored of being an observer, there was no way in hell she was going to miss seeing Mihawk make his arrival and Luffy send the finishing blow to Krieg. Perhaps she could try and make a hot chocolate…

 _Yes, that's what I'll do._ She thought with a deciding nod, stepping into the kitchen. _I can drink it while I watch everything happen. Although it probably won't taste as good as Sanji's…_

Glancing around the empty kitchen, she let out a small whistle of appreciation. Saying that it was impressive would be an understatement. She had expected it to be much smaller and cramped but it was a massive kitchen. She supposed the bustling chefs shown in the anime and manga hadn't given a full view into the sheer size of the room.

 _Step one is to find a cup._ She decided, glancing around at the multitude of cupboards and draws with a frown. _Something that's going to be easier said than done…_

Walking over to the cupboard closest to her, she decided to work from left to right. Opening up the first door, she was greeted with the site of plates, the second cupboard, more plates, and the third cupboard, even more plates. Letting out a groan of frustration, she opened up the forth one and, you guessed it, saw plates. Accepting that she was going to need to go through every cupboard, she did just that. Finally, when she opened the final cupboard, she was greeted with the site of the mugs.

 _I really should have just started from this end._ She thought as she placed the cup down onto the stainless steel workbench. _Now it's time for step two: finding the milk._

This step was much easier than the first; she simply had to step into the industrial sized fridge that was in the corner of the room. It had been cold in there and she absolutely terrified that she was going to get locked in there but much to her relief; she was able to find the milk with no problem.

 _Now it's step three, heating the milk._ Glancing around the kitchen, she didn't see a microwave, not that she was surprised. _Guess I'm using the stove then…_

Walking over to one of the cupboards she was able to easily locate one of the pans, having looked into every cupboard already on her search for a mug. Placing it onto the stoves element, she crouched down in an attempt to figure out how the hell she was supposed to turn the thing on. Once again, it seemed she was in luck. Turning the nob to hot and flicking for the spark, she let out a satisfied nod as the stove fired to life. Pouring the right amount of milk into pot, she moved onto the next step.

 _I need to find some sugar and cocoa to add to that while it's heating_. She planned out in her head, going to one of the cupboards she had seen the said items stored in earlier. _I don't know how much so I guess I'll just have to wing it._

With that in mind, she poured roughly what she imagined a hot chocolate would need before she began to stir it. Now, all she had to do was wait until it warmed and combined. She wouldn't waste her time with the whipped cream and marshmallows that Sanji's hot chocolates always had, after all, Mihawk would be arriving soon.

While she waited for her hot chocolate to heat, she let her thoughts wonder. It wasn't often that she was given a peaceful moment to think about everything so she might as well take it. But then again, she supposed it wouldn't do much, she didn't know what to think of this situation. Deciding to start with what had led to her, being there on the Baratie, making her hot chocolate, she reflected on her death. Dying was strange. It wasn't like in the stories she had read. She knew it had happened, she hadn't floated in the darkness and talked to a voice, she had simply blacked out. That scared her. There had been nothing until she woke up on that beach.

That was the second thing she hadn't really given herself the chance to think about. She was in a world that was supposed to be fictional. She was with the protagonists of that world, going along with them for a small part of that journey? How had that happened? Was it all some strange post-death dream? No… It all felt to real, and besides, she doubted she would be able to remember the exact words the characters, well people, said. So if not that, what was it? In a world full of devil fruits, she supposed it wouldn't be that ridiculous to assume that by some luck, someone else's devil fruit had transported her here. Although the chances the correct situation and variables all falling perfectly into to place was unlikely, there was still a chance.

Then there was her third problem. What was she going to do in this world? As much as she didn't want to admit it, she had about as much knowledge and skill about living as a normal citizen in this world as she did about being a pirate. The small glimpses she had seen through _One Piece_ didn't show the reality of this world and what everyday life would be like. If she wanted to go on and make a life on one of the islands, she'd need to get a job to provide for herself, something she wasn't confident she could do. She wasn't trained in any of the skills that she would need for island life. On Nami's island, she would have to try and work her way into someone else's family business or take up fishing, neither of which sounded like things she could do. That means she'd need an alternative, but what alternative was there? The skills she had weren't needed on that island, or for any of the islands in the East Blue now that she looked back on it.

She had been studying Crime Scene Investigation's! The islands of the East Blue didn't need someone to come to a crime scene and collect evidence: if there were any crimes, it was almost always pirates who proudly admitted to being the culprits! There was also no way in hell she would consider working for the marines. Even if she eventually gave up and did do that, it wouldn't get her far. The technology of this world was simply too different and the skills she had wouldn't be effective.

She really was stuck between and rock and a hard place. As things were, she didn't have a place in this world. She could try to weasel her way into one of the already existing spots but could she do that? She didn't know the answer to that.

"Well, at least my hot chocolate is looking ready." She spoke out loud to herself, needing to clear the air of her thoughts. "I guess I'll go watch the pirates fight now."

Giving the drink one more stir in the pot, she gave a nod of approval, satisfied that everything had successfully dissolved and mixed. Turning the stove off, Nora carefully poured the hot mixture into the mug. She contemplated cleaning her dishes but when she thought about the mess that the restaurant would soon be in, she decided they wouldn't mind needing to wash one extra pot. With that in mind, she picked up her mug of hot chocolate and made her way to exit the kitchen and walk down the spiral stairs.

As she walked down the stairs, she took her first sip of the drink, letting out a hum of approval when she realised it actually tasted quite good. Nowhere near as good as Sanji's but a hot chocolate was a hot chocolate.

"Looks like I've made it just in time." She mused as she came down to the lower level of the Baratie just in time to hear the sounds of the approaching pirates.

"I thought you'd gone to hide up in the kitchen." Zoro said with raised eyebrows when she came to a stop behind his chair.

"No. I just really wanted a hot chocolate." She explained, gesturing towards the mug. "It always calms me down."

"Hiding in the kitchen doesn't sound like such a bad idea…" Usopp muttered, a look of terror on his face as he attempted the shield himself by stooping down to the tables height. "Maybe it's not too late for me to go there."

"I wouldn't try it if I were you." Nora advised staring out through the doorway. She made sure to grip onto the back of Zoro's chair to steady herself in anticipation of what was soon to happen.

It was immediately after her statement that Don Krieg's ship was sliced into the pieces before their very eyes.

Despite having been expecting it, she still felt her draw drop at the site. It really was something else… To think that one day Zoro, to person right in front of her, would be able to do this with just as much ease as Mihawk had. That was truly amazing.

"Our ship was outside to!" Zoro cursed, jumping from his seat and sprinting out doors, Usopp and Luffy doing the same. "Nami, Usopp and Johnny are still inside!"

"It might be too late already!" Usopp cried out as he ran after them, panic painted across his features.

Following behind them at a slower pace, taking sips of her hot chocolate on the way, she smiled a small smile to herself. Usopp's goals was to one day become a brave warrior of the sea yet seeing him sprint off to check on his crewmates, despite having just seen a galleon get sliced up, she realised that perhaps he wasn't as far off from his goal as he thought.

When she made it out the doors and onto the deck, she glanced over to the Straw Hats, along with Johnny and Yosaku. The situation looked tense over there and it didn't feel right for her to intrude, especially when she wouldn't be able to understand how they felt about Nami's betrayal. What she knew changed the way she saw the situation so instead, she glanced around and saw Zeff, looking into the sea with a look of pure shock on his face.

"Looks like you were right, old man." She said, coming to a stop besides Zeff and staring out at the small ship that held a single man. "I bet you wish you hadn't been though."

"You don't seem shocked." He noted, not taking his eyes off of the small ship.

"That's because I'm not." She said, taking a small sip from her cup. She then let out a small laugh. "Although to think he really would appear in the East Blue of all the seas… It must be fate."

From behind them, the chefs began to snap out of their shock, making comments about whether or not he really was the one to sink Krieg's fleet and questioning as to where his weapon was. Once again, she was struck with how strange the spread of information in this world was. The 'Hawk-Eyed' man was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, someone you would expect people to recognise from newspapers or perhaps old bounty poster yet no one did. Did they assume that they were safe because they were in the most peaceful Blue, the East Blue? Or was it like this in all of the Blue's? Perhaps only people who sailed the Grand Line for long enough and those in the New World took the time to learn the faces of these infamous pirates. Either way, it was still odd to her.

"If you're looking for his weapon, then it's on his back." Zeff said, his face growing hard. Upon the shocked cries of his chefs, he continued speaking. "Yes, that 'Hawk-Eyed' man is a renowned swordsman. More renowned than any other swordsman in this world."

 _And my world as well._ Nora silently added. _He really is terrifyingly strong._

* * *

 **And that's the end of the chapter! I hope you all liked it and I'm so sorry that the update is a few days late! I'm not the best at updating on the same day of each week in case you haven't noticed.**

 **But anyway, at the beginning of this chapter I wasn't really feeling this chapter but later on, I actually really like how it turned out? I feel like I was able to include so many of Nora's opinions and thoughts and give more of an insight into her character. She's just so fun to write so even though I may ramble on about her ideals and thoughts in some parts, I think they're important in regards to her personality.**

 **On that note, there was actually quite a few things regarding her character in this chapter. Some of them I don't think you'll be able to pick up on because they're so small but once all the reveals are made, you'll go back and be like 'IT ALL MAKES SENSE!' Or at least I hope you will… We also get to see that she's sick of sitting around and watching, something I'm sick of as well tbh so perhaps next chapter we might see her boredom getting the better of her, maybe, maybe not…**

 **As always, I want to thank everything single one of you who has reviewed, followed, favorited or read this story! It honestly means so much to me that you're all enjoying this story so far, even if it is a bit slow at this stage. I hope you'll all continue to stick with it because I've got some really exciting things planned (especially once they make it the Grand Line).**

 **I'm already getting onto writing the next chapter because of how much I liked the ending of this one so the next update will (hopefully but who knows tbh) be soon! Don't forget to leave a review and also favourite/follow because like I said, it means the world to me! Bye :)**


	11. Hawk-Eyes

**Before we start this chapter, I have a super important announcement! I have made a tumblr for my writing! It's where I'll post chapter previews, tumblr exclusive drabbles, answer your questions and a whole lot of fun things! I'll link it on my profile but links are a bit iffy at the moment so it might not work…**

 **The url is dreamscape-fanfics tumblr com ( '.' instead of spaces of course). I hope you all follow and please feel free to ask any questions or tell me what you'd like to see more of in this story!**

* * *

The Misadventures of Nora

Chapter 11

Hawk-Eyes

* * *

"I wonder if that guy's brave or just plain stupid?" Nora muttered, watching as one of the Krieg Pirates stood, pointing a gun towards Mihawk, the man who had just _sliced_ their ship. "Does he really think shooting at him is going to achieve much?"

In case you were wondering something along the lines of Nora, about whether or not shooting at the worlds strongest swordsman had managed to achieve much for that frustrated pirate, well, it hadn't. Mihawk had pulled out his massive blade at lightening speed and redirected the course of the bullets. She wasn't entirely sure if that was actually a possible feat but she wasn't going to question him. It wasn't like science really seemed to apply in this world anyway. If you can cut a giant ship why wouldn't you be able to move a couple of bullets?

When Zoro appeared among the horde of pirates, she knew that things were about to go downhill for Luffy's first mate. She knew he wasn't going to win this fight he was about to go into and she also knew there was going to be _a lot_ of blood. Perhaps she could go and play doctor again? Maybe it would make his fight against the Arlong Pirates somewhat easier for him if she stopped some of the bleeding…

With that in mind, she ignored every instinct in her body that told her to not get anywhere near the pair and began to move into action. With a final gulp of her hot chocolate, she placed it down and began walking around the edge of the Baratie, ignoring Zeff's questioning, she looked for a part of the debris that she could climb onto to get closer to were Zoro and Mihawk were. When she found it, she continued to ignore the chefs warnings as she heaved herself over the railing and with shaky legs, landed onto the floating wood. She was thankful that none of the pirates had been on this part of their destroyed ship but she knew from here on out, she wasn't going to be that lucky.

The next part of the ship she would need to get to in order to get closer to Zoro was swarmed with pirates. While they were distracted by the scene between the two swordsman, she could tell they were agitated.

 _I've had a lot of stupid ideas in my life, well both lives I have to say._ Nora thought to herself, yet that didn't stop her from making her way towards the piece she would need to get onto to. With her shaking legs, she launched herself onto the piece, barely missing falling into the water. _This is definitely the stupidest though._

And she truly meant that.

Her less than graceful landing had successfully caught attention of every single pirate on and around that piece of the ship. She was pretty sure she even saw Mihawk glance over in her direction. With a nervous laugh, she sent a small smile to them, hoping that they would turn back to the conversation between Zoro and Mihawk.

But of course, our dear protagonist could simply not be that lucky.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" One of the pirates, a man that was twice her age and _at least_ twice her size scowled at her. "You're with the chefs ain't you? Trying to get some sort of sneak attack while we're distracted by your green haired friend over there, isn't that right?"

As more and more of the pirates on that particular piece turned towards her with accusing glares, she paled slightly and took a small step back. She really should have just stayed with Zeff…

"This brat was definitely going to try and deal with us while we were distracted." Another one of the pirates said, sending a killer glare in her direction. He then cracked his knuckles and smirked. "Why don't we get rid of her and show that Hawk-Eyes that he shouldn't doubt us?"

"H-Hey now!" Nora said with a nervous laugh, glancing around for a way out of this, cursing when she saw that Zoro was still entrapped in his conversation with Mihawk. "Let's be calm and talk this out!"

The pirates didn't seem to care much for her words and instead, the one of who had spoken first charged at her, his sword drawn. As he ran towards her, the only thought crossing through her mind was the fact that he wasn't twice the size of her. It was more like three times her size.

Letting out a yelp as he swung his sword down at her, she dived to the side, narrowly missing losing her eyesight. She already had enough scars with the ones littering her torso and thighs, she didn't need anymore to add to her collection. As she landed, she rolled just as she had been taught to do in gymnastics, tucking into herself and rolling into a crouching position, avoiding any serious injuries. She may have lost her fitness but she was glad she hadn't lost that movement from her memory. Looking up, she saw the pirate was already making a move to swing at her again, making her gulp.

 _Well you were sick of just sitting around…_ A small part of her thought bitterly, her panic growing as he grew closer. Watching as he swung his sword down, she accepted that she was going to die… again. A smile spread across her face and a giggle escaped at a sudden thought that crossed her mind. _Maybe this time I'll end up in a more peaceful world… I wouldn't mind going to Ouran Academy, that would be peaceful_ and _safe._

The impending doom, however, did not come and she wasn't transported to a world of host clubs and crossdressing. Instead she heard the sound of someone collapsing, the pirate across from her crumpling to ground from… well Nora wasn't quite sure. Glancing around, she saw nothing out of the ordinary, that was until her eyes locked onto Mihawk. Standing near him was another shellshocked pirate that had tried to shoot at him, only to have his bullets deflected. It seemed that somehow, she had been lucky enough for those bullets to deflected into the pirate who had been seconds away from killing her. How that had happened, she had no clue. Perhaps she was born under some sort of lucky star… Okay who was she kidding, she had the _worst_ luck so that definitely wasn't the case.

Nora wasn't given much more a chance to think about what had just happened because next thing she knew, the remaining four pirates all slowly walked towards her, their swords drawn, only spurred on by the fall of their crewmate. Letting out a curse, she stood from her crouched position and moved to the other side of the floating shipwreck in an attempt to buy some time and figure out how the hell she was going to not die.

 _Okay Nora, calm down and think. You did self defense in PE when you were in high school._ She thought, giving herself a mental pep talk. _And on top of that, these pirates are all guys. If you just land a solid kick where the sun doesn't shine, you'll be okay. Yes, that's what I'll do._

With her plan in her mind, an admittedly bad one, but a plan nonetheless, she looked at the four men that had now circled her, easily within kicking range. When she locked onto the smallest of the four, she sent a quick prayer to Davy Jones (what? She was on the sea, standing on a _shipwreck_ , it only seemed appropriate) and swung her leg back, before kicking the man between the legs, as hard as she could.

She watched in satisfaction as the man fell to the floor, letting out a cry of pain as his hands went to cradle himself. Her satisfaction was short lived however when the remaining three pirates snapped out of their shock. One of them went to swing his fist at her, thankfully forgetting that he had a sword in his other hand. Taking the opportunity to use his state of thoughtless rage and his closeness to the edge against him, Nora took her bag from her back swung it as hard as she could into his face. If she had been given a minute, she would have cried tears of joy as the swing sent him topping onto one of the other pirates, sending them both flying into the ocean, a mess of flailing limbs. She just hoped her camera and journal would be okay… She really wanted to get a picture of Zoro and Mihawk.

With a silent thank you to Davy Jones, she turned to the last pirate who was even angrier now that four of his crewmates had fallen. Learning from the others previous actions, he made sure to stay out of reach of both her leg and her bag, much to her disappointment. That disappointment quickly morphed into fear as he pulled out a gun to point at her.

 _Well this isn't good._ She thought, letting out a curse under her breath. _I'm one hundred percent screwed!_

"This is what happens when you go against the Krieg Pirates." He said, a dark look on his face as he pointed the gun towards her. "We don't leave behind any survivors."

"So the incident with Hawk-Eyes over there was a one time thing?" Nora said before she was able to stop herself. "Well I suppose it's a two time thing after today…"

 _Note to self._ She thought as she let out a yelp, throwing herself at the floor as the pirate fired his gun. _Don't go mocking angry pirates. They'll try to shoot you._

By some kind of miracle (she was going to thank Davy Jones again) she'd managed to not get hit _and_ the pirate had ran out of bullets. While he had some sense to not stand close to her, he'd just assumed he'd be able to shoot her if he kept firing. As she watched the pirate curse and start the slow process of reloading his gun, had never been more thankful for unadvanced technology.

Knowing that she wouldn't have long before the gun was reloaded and he was ready to shoot her again, she jumped into action. Doing her best to remember what she had been taught in PE, she ran towards him and sent her elbow flying into his ribs. Then, when he moved to grab a hold of her she slammed her elbow into his neck, making him crumple to the floor. With a final kick to his head, she sent him into the water.

"Oh man." Nora said, heaving out a breath of her, the adrenalin wearing off and the exhaustion hitting. She was truly in a state of disbelief. She definitely should have died just then. She wasn't going to question it for too long though, she'd just be thankful she was alive and hand the credit over to Davy Jones. "I just took out five pirates and didn't die!"

Looking around, she turned turned to Zoro and Mihawk, her original goal for this whole expedition. She had been expecting their fight to be over long ago yet it wasn't. With a frown on her face, she made her way to the final bit of the ship wreckage, the one Zoro was standing on and listened into their conversation.

"You said you're free, right?" Zoro said, only confusing her more. "So let's have a duel."

 _Shouldn't they have been at this point ages ago!?_ She looked between the two, completely confused with what had been going on while she was fighting against those pirates. _Were they discussing the weather or something?_

"It's him! Zoro!" A pirate, the one who had fired his gun the first time if she remembered correctly, yelled from besides her. "Roronoa Zoro of the three sword style!"

Deciding the questioning it wasn't going to get anywhere, she reached into her bag and pulled out her camera. She let out a breath of relief when she saw that it was still intact despite having made contact with that pirates head. Quickly snapping a picture of the two men facing off, Mihawk now standing on the shipwreck across from Zoro, she slid it into the folds of her journal which had also survived the earlier fight.

"If you're a competent swordsman by any means, then I can demonstrate the clear difference in strength between you and I, without needing to cross blades at all." Mihawk spoke, an air of superiority surrounding him as he eyes up Zoro. "But still, you dare to challenge me. Does your bravery come from your conviction…? Or from ignorance…?"

"It comes from my ambition and a promise to a friend." Zoro replied, his bandanna now on his head as he placed a the sword into his mouth. "To be honest, I never thought I'd be able to meet you so early on."

"A waste, if you ask me." Mihawk responded, making her laugh quietly to herself.

The tension between the two was highly amusing to her and she was once again thinking about how their relationship would grow during the timeskip. One day they would be a master and a student, yet at this stage, she doubted anyone but her would be able to see that.

"Before we start…" Mihawk spoke, turning to her. "Don't you think you should move away a bit more?"

It was true that all the other pirates who had previously been on this part of the shipwreck had retreated away from the scene but after putting so much effort into getting onto it, there was no way in hell she was going back.

"And give up my front row seat? You have no idea what I had to go through to get here." Nora spoke, sitting down as she said this to further illustrate her point. "Try not to hit me please."

"I have somewhat of an idea." Mihawk spoke, yet never the less he moved to remove his cross necklace.

Her eyebrows rose at his statement. She had been sure that no one had been looking over at her little alterfication with the pirates, everyone having been paying attention to the two swordsman. How odd.

"Just what are you planning to do with that?" Zoro asked, his sole focus on the other swordsman and the small blade he had withdrawn from his necklace.

As Mihawk went onto explain that a swordsman from the weakest blue couldn't possibly beat him, she frowned at his words. She was a victim of thinking the same thoughts yet when she really thought about it, the East Blue seemed to be producing terrifyingly strong people. Ignoring Luffy and his crew, Garp, Dragon, Ace, Sabo and Gol D. Roger, the _Pirate King_ , were all from the East Blue. If that was considered weak, well she was glad she was in the East Blue.

"Unfortunately, I do not have a blade smaller than this at the moment." Mihawk said, sending an almost mocking look in Zoro's direction.

"There's a limit to just how much you can underestimate me!" Zoro yelled, charging towards the other swordsman. "You better not regret it when you die!"

Now Nora wanted to have faith in Zoro, to believe that he was strong enough to defeat the world's strongest swordsman. She wanted to believe that maybe what she knew to be true wasn't the reality of this world. If she could exist here why couldn't Zoro beat Mihawk? She knew better though. As he was, he wouldn't win this fight. No matter how much she wanted to see him come out of this fight without any injuries, that just wasn't going to be a reality.

She was proved right when Zoro's attack was stopped with Mihawk's tiny blade almost effortlessly. It was an impressive sight, really. Nothing more than the point of a tiny blade stopping one of his most ruthless attacks. It once again highlighted just how terrifying the warlord was and how someone like herself would never be able to be a pirate in the Grand Line. This was only further cemented as a frenzy of Zoro's attacks were all blocked, just as effortlessly as the first one.

The shaking caused by their one sided battle was making her begin to regret not retreating as the pirates had done. She just hoped she didn't fall in, or more specifically her bag didn't fall in. Replacing its contents would _not_ be cheap and she wasn't willing to ask Nami for more money any time soon, especially after being informed of her ever growing bill.

"What burdens you so?" Mihawk asked, staring at Zoro. "What do you still desire at the extent of your strength, weakling?"

She frowned at that statement. Zoro was a lot of things, both good and bad things. She could come up with any number of words to describe him yet weakening would never be one of them.

"Ouch." She uttered weakly, watching on in worry as Mihawk's small blade impaled Zoro's chest. She could see them speaking but she didn't have the mind to listen, much to worried about her friend and the pain she had no doubt he would be feeling. When she's died she _had_ been impaled so she knew just how much that had to hurt. When the blade was finally withdrawn, she felt herself relax slightly, although she knew the worst was yet to come.

"Kid… Tell me your name." Mihawk demanded, withdrawing his real blade now, causing Nora to suck in a deep breath. Even though she considered herself a writer, she was unable to find a word to describe the blade. The black metal seemed to draw in all of the light, something that almost seemed like a promise of death. It was a terrifyingly beautiful blade, one she hoped she'd never have to face.

 _Things are about to go downhill._ She thought as she watched Zoro prepare to once again attack, stating his full name to the older swordsman. _I hope everything will be okay…_

With a few final words, Mihawk charged towards Zoro, the latter not wavering at all, preparing for the attack with no fear. If she wasn't so worried for his health she would have admired his bravery and conviction but instead she sat there, chewing anxiously at her lip, watching sadly as Zoro was defeated, two of his swords shattering.

"A wound on one's back is the shame of a swordsman." Zoro proclaimed, standing proudly and accepting his fate with a grin, refusing to fall.

"Sister Nora!" She could hear Johnny and Yosaku pleading from Luffy's grip. "Save him!"

"Nora." Zoro spoke, not hint of fear in his voice at all. "Don't interfere in this."

"I won't." She managed to say, her knuckles turning white from her clenched fist. "Just be safe."

As he grinned in response, she could only shake her head and try to rid herself of her worries. She would not interfere until it was over. It wasn't her place. No matter how much she didn't want to see Zoro fall, she couldn't and she wouldn't interfere.

 _He's going to be fine._ She told herself, repeating the phrase over and over in her head, unable to tear her eyes away as Mihawk swung his sword across Zoro's chest, blood almost instantly seeping from the wound. _He's going to be_ fine.

"Zoro!" Luffy yelled in horror watching as his crewmate fell to the water, the water being stained red with his blood. Her heart clenched at this, watching as sank. In his anger and grief, Luffy stretched his arm, flinging himself in the direction of the man who had just cut down Zoro, drawing sharp gasps from the pirates watching on. "Damn you!"

Briefly in her mind she considered diving in after him but she wasn't a strong enough swimmer to do any good. It would only result in there being two of them that needed to fished out from the water and right now, no one needed more stress added to this situation.

"Thank you." Nora muttered quietly, turning to the side and watching Johnny and Yosaku set out to retrieve Zoro. "For not killing him, that is."

She only got a small grunt in response, Mihawk being more concerned with the boy wearing a straw hat who was currently flying towards him, fist aimed and ready to attack. Gripping tightly onto her bag, Nora prayed she didn't find herself in the water with Zoro, she didn't want to end up at the bottom of the sea in Davy Jones' Locker.

"Fear not. That man is still alive." Mihawk spoke to Luffy, turned to watch as the bounty hunting duo fished him from the water, his hawk like eyes locked onto Zoro. His obvious respect for Zoro shone as bright as day in his eyes as he yelled his next words. "I am Dracule Mihawk! It is much too early for you to die! Know thy self! Know thy world! And become strong Roronoa! No matter how many months or years pass by, I shall stand here at the top of the world and wait for you! So forge on ahead with that fierce conviction and try to surpass my sword! Surpass me Roronoa!"

As she watched him speak, she wondered if the thought of him being the one to teach Zoro ever crosses his mind. She didn't think so.

"Boy. What do you aim for?" Mihawk said, staring down at Luffy who had crouched besides her. At the boys expected response of 'Pirate King' the swordsman nodded approvingly. "A tough path indeed. Even tougher than surpassing myself."

"Whatever!" Luffy said, childishly sticking out his tongue, making Nora feel ever so slightly happier. "I'm going to do it anyways!"

"I just realised..." She groaned, slapping her palm to her face, her memory as to why she was here in the first place coming back as Luffy yelled out to Usopp about Zoro's condition. "I ended up coming all the way out here for no reason."

The only thing she'd managed to get out of her dangerous trek from one piece of the destroyed ship to another was a few near death experiences and a photo. Zoro hadn't needed her help, or more so she'd been unable to help him. She'd completely forgotten that he was going to fall into the sea…

 _I'm an idiot…_ She groaned, cradling her face in her hands. _This is why I shouldn't stay with them._

As her guilt for doing nothing began to consume her, she stood with a small sigh, only a small amount of comfort coming from Zoro's pained promise to never lose again. Perhaps if she had done something more, his voice wouldn't have sounded so pained… But if she had done something, would Mihawk still have gained respect in the younger swordsman? This wasn't her story to interfere with but they were people she considered to be her friends… She didn't know what to do…

"You make a good team." Mihawk spoke, an almost excited smirk coming onto his face as he glanced back at Luffy. "I'd like to see you three again, sometime in the future…"

 _Three…?_ She thought with a frown. _Had he been including her…?_

"I have some advice though." He spoke, turning to look at her with his striking eyes. Under his gaze, she felt like prey that had just been cornered. "Should you decide to go into the Grand Line, it would be best to be cautious. There are some who would not take lightly to crossing paths with you."

"What do you mean by that?" She managed to get out after a few seconds of silence, to confused by his statement to tell him that she had no plan of venturing there.

"If you are not already aware then I won't be the one to tell you." He said, his unnerving gaze not wavering. "Just know that in that sea, you and your necklace will be recognised as something you may not be prepared for."

"I suppose you're not going to give me real answer no matter how many times I ask, are you?" She sighed, only gaining more questions from his answer to her question.

"You'll find out soon enough." He said, turning his back and preparing to head to the small ship. "With all that being said, do not make the mistake of assuming you will be safe in the East Blue. Trouble will follow you."

"How reassuring." Nora drawled, running her palm over her face.

Hopefully he's just mistaken me for someone else. She thought with a shake of her head. Or maybe he's going senile after a few too many drinks with Shanks.

"Now I'd recommend you get away from here." He told her, glancing back at her briefly. "It will be best for you to avoid this."

"Avoid wh-" She began to question, only to be cut off by the booming voice of Don Krieg.

"Hawk-Eyes! Did you come all the way out here for my head?" He called out from behind her, all the information she needed to pick up her back and prepare to leave.

"He's right, Nora." Luffy said, glancing between the swordsman and the pirate captain before turning to her with a grin. "Go with the others and look after Zoro for me, okay? We'll catch up soon!"

"Be sure to bring that chef with you." She said, patting his head affectionately. "You'll struggle to find one as good as he is anytime soon."

"I will." He responded with his all too familiar laugh. "I'll help you onto the ship!"

"Thanks Luffy! That'll be helpful." She smiled in response, glad to get away from Krieg and his assortment of weapons. As Luffy's arm stretched to wrap around her, she quickly changed her mind. With a snap of his arm, Nora was sent flying through the air… In the wrong direction! Letting out a horrified screech, she could only pray that _someone_ caught her. "Damn it Luffy! Stop doing stuff like this!"

Sailing through the air, and heading nowhere near where she had been intending to go, Nora clutched onto her bag and accepted that this was how she was going to go. Not by being impaled by a car, not by being shot at by marines, not at fighting off five pirates that were twice her size, no, she was going to die at the hand of Monkey D. Luffy.

 _Well it was only a short time but I enjoyed this world._ She thought, squeezing her eyes shut. _Hopefully my journal doesn't sink to the bottom of the ocean. Although Davey Jones may like to know more about the girl he's been helping…_

"Nora-chwan!" She heard Sanji's shout, making her eyes snap open as she attempted to glance around, all while still flying through the air. "I'll catch you~!"

 _Looks like I'm not dying_. She thought with a relieved sigh as she landed less than gracefully into the chef's arms. In the distance, she could see the ship carrying Zoro still floating but she didn't think she'd have a chance to board it anytime soon. _Although it looks like I'll be staying back on the Baratie to watch the fight…_

"Thank you Sanji." She said with a small laugh as her shaky legs were placed onto the deck by the lovestruck cook. "I was sure I was going to be dying."

"It's okay Nora-chwan!" He yelled out, hearts in his eyes. "I'll do anything to protect you!"

"You're a troublesome brat." Zeff said, walking over to her, thumping Sanji on the head along the way. He glanced out into the ocean with a shake of his head. "You and all your crewmates out there. Sanji'll fit right in."

"Hey, you damn geezer!" Sanji snapped at him with a glare. "I told you I'm not gonna be leaving this place, didn't I?"

Zeff wasn't given a chance to respond because seconds later, the results of whatever it was that took place between Mihawk and Don Krieg was shaking the Baratie. Somehow in the midst of all of this, Luffy had managed to get a grapple on the railing of the floating restaurant and avoid being drowned, something she was very thankful for. As his head slammed harshly against the ship's railing, she was glad that he had eaten a devil fruit because otherwise, that would have _hurt_.

"Usopp!" He turned to yell to his sniper, the ship shaking violently in the massive wave Mihawk had created. "Go on ahead!"

"You can leave me here!" She added on with a shout, waving to them. "I'll get some good photos so you don't miss out on any of the action!"

"Zoro and I'll definitely bring Nami back! So make sure to get us a cook! And make sure they're good photos!" Usopp yelled back, waving to the pair of them with a growing grin. "Once we have six people in our crew, let's head to the Grand Line!"

Nora got the feeling she was once again being included in this.

For now though, she had bigger things to worry about. Even bigger than the questions Mihawk's advice had left her with. It was time for the real battle against the Krieg Pirates to start. She could practically feel the deadly aura being directed towards the ship. She just hoped that she'd manage to stay out of the fight, her encounter with some of the pirates earlier was not a pleasant one and she was sure that should she repeat it, she wouldn't end up quite as lucky as she had been the last time.

"Hey old man!" Luffy said, glancing at Zeff, still clinging to the ship's railing. "If I chase them away for you, will you let me off the hook?"

With Zeff's agreement to Luffy's offer, Nora braced herself for the storm she was about to witness.

 _Perhaps I should have gone with the others._ She sighed, watching as the pirates began to fire up from whatever nonsense their sorry excuse of a captain was telling them. _At least I'll be able to get a photo of Luffy punching the villain. It's almost a tradition at this stage…_

"Hey Nora!" Luffy called out to her, waving to get her attention. "Help pull me back?"

"Just don't send me flying with you." She said, hooking her arms under his armpits as he grappled onto the railing once again. "I'd rather not have to fight pirates."

"You were doing it before though!" He said with a laugh as she stretched him back, walking as far into the restaurant as she could. When he was no longer able to stretch, a grin stretched across his face. "Let's get things started!"

"Have fun, Luffy." And with that, she let go and sent him flying towards the Krieg Pirates.

* * *

Fingers strumming against his thigh, Mihawk felt a laugh of amusement bubble at his lips. The restaurant and those who were there now long gone in the distance, he found himself thinking back to the amazing potential he had seen.

Roronoa Zoro had impressed him. That went without saying. He was looking forward to the day that they would meet again and have their swords clash. He had no doubt that soon, he would make a name for himself in the Grand Line, a new and fearsome face that many would tremble at. The same could be said for his captain, the young boy who had been wearing that irritatingly familiar straw hat who had a devil's fruit power. To so confidently declare his aim to become pirate king... He'd soon be a menace for the Grand Line. Then there was that girl, Nora if he remembered the way that Roronoa has addressed her correctly.

She looked exactly like _her_.

At first, when he had seen her clumsily making her way from one piece of shipwreck to the next, he had been willing to pass it off as a coincidence, but then, when she had been fighting against those pirates, he saw the glittering of _that_ necklace in the light. There was no mistaking that one of a kind stone, glittering all the colours of the rainbow. He, and many, _many_ others would recognise that within the blink of an eye. That necklace meant more than that girl, or any of her crew mates, seemed to realise.

He felt the laugh he had been holding escape through his lips, his head tilting backwards.

That girl, now she may not seem like much but just like her crewmates, she to would be an absolute menace. He had seen her potential when she had fought against those pirates. Her movements were clumsy, obviously only knowing the very basics of self defence, but she had moved quickly and been agile. She had thought quickly as well, although an amateur, she had been able to analyse the situation and act accordingly. Those skills would only heighten with experience and he had no doubt that she would be capable of mastering observational haki. Perhaps that was why he spared her life, sending some bullets that had been fired his way to take down the pirate that had been seconds away from taking her life. Or perhaps it was that smile, the eerily familiar smile that had graced her face as she seemingly laughed in the face of death.

It had been just like _her_.

That smile wasn't the only similarity. The eyes, the face, even the expressions she made were eerily familiar. It almost made him feel nostalgic. The only difference was where he was used to blonde locks laying, there was waves of light brown hair instead. From their short encounter, he could tell that the similarities didn't stop at the appearance. They went much, _much_ further than that.

If she was anything like her mother, and by god had he seen it in those shocking green eyes, a hurricane would soon be hitting the Grand Line, shaking it to its very core.

* * *

"I'm gonna die!" Nora screeched, running as fast as she could, narrowly dodging the swinging of a blade.

"Get back here you damn brat!" One of the Krieg Pirates, the one who she had kicked in the _lower region_ earlier, yelled as he chased after her. "I'll get you back for what you did!"

"I was doing the world a favour!" She yelled back, narrowly avoiding another one of his attempts to swipe at her back. "It would be better for everyone if you couldn't procreate!"

At the angry roar and the thundering of footsteps growing quicker, she was once again reminded that she needed to learn to keep her mouth shut.

Throwing herself to the right, she groaned in pain as she collided with the decking. It was better than being decapitated but it still hurt. She was going to have a multitude of bruises littering her body after today, something she was _not_ happy with. The bruise on her stomach that Jango left had only just began to fade now, the pale yellow left behind being hidden by the cloth she wore tied around her waist.

In the background, she could hear some of the Krieg Pirates shouting in relief at the arrival of Pearl but she didn't have the luxury of taking a look. The pirate who was now stood above her swung his sword down, intent on impaling her head. Whipping her head to the side with a yelp, she was able to dodge any serious damage, like being _stabbed_ _through the skull_ , but she did feel the blade leave a shallow cut along her cheek. She hoped it didn't scar. She didn't need anymore of those.

As he prepared to take another swing, Nora realised she needed to get the hell off of the ground if she didn't want to die. That was however, much easier said than done. The pirate was now much more alert than he had been earlier on: he wouldn't be falling for any of her cheap shots this time.

 _Maybe if I start crying he'll take pity on me…_ She thought, although she quickly changed her mind when she glanced up and saw the look of pure hatred on the pirates face. …O _r not._

It seemed that once again, Davy Jones had decided to take pity on her admittedly weak self because the next thing she knew, one of the other Krieg Pirates collided with the one standing above her, sending him flying and crashing into Pearl's chest. Glancing around to get her bearings as to what had happened, she saw Sanji standing with a dark look on his face and a knife in his hand besides a fallen Patty. She realised then that Sanji must have kicked the flying pirate.

"A kitchen knife is the soul of a chef." Sanji spoke to the pirate who he had kicked. "It's not something an amateur like you should _think_ about touching."

When he turned to speak to Patty and hand back the knife, Nora took the momentary distraction of the pirates to get herself off of the ground and _away_ from them. Running to the side of the fight, she stood nearby the entrance to the restaurant, hoping that the pirates wouldn't chase her in there if she did need to make a quick escape. The fact that Zeff was also stood there was quite reassuring. Now that she was away from any imminent danger, she took the opportunity to turn back to Sanji and Pearl. This was her first proper look at the man and well, it was definitely a sight to see. His appearance wasn't the most ridiculous one that would be seen in One Piece but that didn't mean he looked any less stupid walking around with his circle shields. She was reminded of a young boy playing soldiers with his mum's pots and pans. It wasn't the best look.

The laugh that she had been holding back erupted when Luffy went flying into Pearl at the exact same time that Sanji's first kick collided with him.

* * *

 **I'm actually quite happy with this chapter because I was able to break away from the canon dialogue more which was something I enjoyed. There will be a lot more of that as Nora grows stronger and more confident! There was also quite a big reveal in this chapter… What do you all think of Nora's mother? Do you have any theories on her? Did any of you see it coming?**

 **I also wrote from Mihawk's POV for a bit which I actually liked… I wasn't sure whether or not I was going to include it that way but I'm glad I did. Do you guys want to see more from other characters point of views? Please let me know! :)**

 **As I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, I'm super excited for the tumblr I've set up! (dreamscape-fanfics tumblr com) I hope you all follow it and please please please ask me any questions you have regarding it! Even if it's just discussing the story I'm ready for all messages! I might even post a few drabbles that are set after the timeskip (because I love Law so much and I just can't wait lol) so if you follow it you'll get to see lots of cool stuff!**

 **On a less happy note, I got back to school tomorrow which I'm so not looking forward to. I'll still update weekly but of course, updates may be a bit more scattered and a few days late on occasion.**

 **Well I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please don't forget to follow, favourite and leave a review! It really does mean the world to me! I'll see all of you lovely readers next week (or on my tumblr which you should 100% go and follow)**


	12. Nora Goes Swimming

**Hello everyone! Chapter 12 is** _ **finally**_ **here. Sorry about the wait! Longer authors note at the end (as always)**

 **I'll just put a reminder here to follow my writing tumblr dreamscape-fanfics tumblr com (with dots instead of spaces) there'll be lots of cool stuff there soon :)**

* * *

The Misadventures of Nora

Chapter 12

Nora Goes Swimming

* * *

"Luffy! You're on fire!" Nora yelled, clutching at the sides of her head as she watched the boy run around with his pants on fire.

 _Since when was setting yourself on fire a valid way of dealing with your fears?_ She thought, sending a bitter glare towards Pearl who was doing just that as she frantically tried to stomp out the fire on Luffy's backside. _He's gonna burn the whole ship down!_

"Hot! Hot!" Luffy screeched, rolling around as she continued to stomp on him. "Put it out!"

"I'm trying!" She screeched back, briefly noting the number of pirates who were deciding to jump ship. With Luffy being a devil fruit user, she wouldn't be able to do that to put out the fire on him. No matter how tempting it did seem compared the repeatedly stomping on him. "Stay still!"

"Thanks." Luffy said with a huff, clutching his pants with a frown when she finally managed to get the fire out. "That was hot."

"You were on fire! Of course it was _hot!_ " She huffed, bent over at the waist from the stress and effort of putting out the fire. Or maybe she was huffing from the smoke she'd inhaled from the burning ship… "Oh look. Sanji's fighting that guy."

True to her words, in front of them, Sanji could be seen facing off against the flaming Pearl and it was definitely a sight to be seen. With flames surrounding them, he stood before the large armoured man and aimed kick after kick at him. She was impressed. Not only was he able to go so close to the flames with no fear of being burnt, but he was also doing it in a _suit_. She was dying of heat exhaustion in _her_ outfit, she had no idea how he was still standing. Grabbing her camera out, Nora snapped a photo just as Sanji's foot collided with the man's face, immortalising the scene in front of her. While the photo definitely looked cool, Pearl's ridiculous appearance and his terrified expression did make it seem a bit less impressive but she never the less tucked it into her bag.

"Dangerous! He's too dangerous!" Pearl screamed with tears in his eyes, sending more of his flaming projectiles into the air. "More fire! More fire pearls!"

And of course, with her luck, one of those flaming pearls just had to come in _her_ direction. Would she even be a real protagonist if she wasn't constantly being put in life threatening situations? She couldn't believe she had been wanting these events to hurry up and take place. Oh, what she'd give to go back a few hours to enjoy drinking a hot chocolate with no threat of death in sight. The saying 'you don't know what you have until it's gone' really did apply in this situation.

"That was close!" Luffy said, ducking to avoid the flaming projectile that was coming directly for them.

"Learn to deal with your stress in a better way!" She shrieked out in Pearl's direction, following Luffy's lead and ducking, narrowly avoiding having her face singed off.

Despite having shouted that, she didn't really think she was much better at dealing with stress. Looking back, she'd spent the last week running around and screeching in horror so she supposed at least he had some logic behind setting himself on fire. It _would_ keep away most enemies. That didn't make it any less annoying though. She supposed she should at least be thankful that only one of the 'fire pearls' had been sent her way. Zeff had gotten the brunt of it with a multitude being sent his way, towards the entrance of the restaurant. She was glad she'd moved away from that spot to help put out the fire on Luffy.

Watching as he kicked at the air and put out the fire of the projectiles, she felt a look of awe come onto her face. To think, even now, with one leg and in his later years he was still capable of doing so much. It was actually quite terrifying and yet another reminder of why Nora had no intentions of entering the dangerous seas of the Grand Line.

"Old man." Luffy said from besides her, grinning at the chef. "That was amazing!"

"You're gonna be meeting plenty of amazing people like him when you enter the Grand Line." Nora said, whistling in appreciation. "Grand Line pirates really are something else…"

That was definitely true, she decided. So far, they hadn't crossed paths with that many pirates who had sailed the Grand Line, but the ones that had were on such a different level. And yes, that included Buggy. Perhaps he'd gotten lazy over the years but that didn't change the fact that he had been on the Pirate Kings crew and that he had made it all the way to Raftel. It was a shame that he'd gotten so lazy over the years. If he had worked harder and ventured back into the Grand Line, he'd probably be recognised as a pirate as fearsome as Shanks.

"Hmmm…" Luffy hummed from besides her, drawing her back to reality as she glanced over in confusion. "What's that?"

"What's what?" She asked, already getting a sinking feeling in her stomach as her companion stared up at the sky, his head tilted in confusion. She _really_ didn't want to look.

"The thing flying towards the ship." He said, squinting slightly.

Turning her head almost robotically, she came to accept that until Don Krieg was taken down, this day would only get worse and worse. She really wasn't going to be getting a moment of peace anytime soon. It only made sense that after fighting against pirates, meeting the world's strongest swordsman and nearly having her face burned off for there to be a giant mace flying towards them, aiming to sink the 'fins' they were currently stood on. Why would the world give her a break when it could try to kill her again?

She watched as it headed directly towards Sanji, seconds away from crushing him and sinking the ship, but thankfully, Luffy jumped forwards before any serious damage could be done. With his teeth gritted, he pushed the ball of steel back to Don Krieg, the chefs watching on with wide eyes.

"Nice job Lu-" Nora began, only to freeze up when she saw something else flying towards them. As the mast of Krieg's destroyed ship fell towards them, she froze up. "Luffy! Are you trying to crush us?!"

"Sorry!" He yelled out, grabbing her just in time to drag her out of the way. "It was an accident!"

"I'm going to die today, aren't I?" She mused, accepting her fate. She supposed she could at least be happy that she hadn't been crushed like Pearl, he wasn't looking to good.

"What's up with this guy?" Sanji said with a blank stare, voicing the thoughts that had been running through her head.

"Maybe he's mentally ill…" Luffy said, nodding in agreement at his own statement.

"Or perhaps just an idiot." She added, nudging him with her foot. "At least we don't have to worry about him anymore."

But at the sudden shout of pain from behind them, Nora realised that they had more pressing issues to worry about now. Laying on the floor with a gun to his head was Zeff and the one holding the gun was none other than Gin.

 _So we're finally up to this part…_ She realised. _Soon enough Luffy will be deal with Krieg and I'll be back on solid land. I can't wait._

* * *

 _I take back what I said earlier._ Nora thought with a curse, clinging desperately onto a floating piece of the now broken fins. _Luffy could've given a bit more warning!_

The past few minutes had been stressful to say the least. From watching Zeff being held hostage, hearing Sanji's backstory -which was much more brutal than she recalled. Had Zeff really eaten his own leg?- and watching him getting beaten up by Pearl to Luffy finally being fed up and sending a hammering kick into the ship's fins, she was both emotionally and physically exhausted. Luffy's kick had absolutely destroyed the fins and sent the pirates and chefs alike flying into the water and unfortunately for her, it had sent her along with them. So now, there she was, desperately clinging onto a piece of shipwreck and doing her best to avoid drowning.

 _I kind of feel like Rose from Titanic._ She mused, laughing under her breath slightly, doing her best to avoid the panic welling in her chest. _Although I don't have a Jack…_

Glancing upwards, she was both glad and rather annoyed to see that Luffy, Sanji, Zeff and Gin had all managed to somehow keep their footing on the ship. Even that damn Pearl was still up there. Of course _she_ would be one of the ones who got blown off into the ocean, the curse of not being a main character she supposed. To make things even more irritating, her bag had been sent along for the ride with her as well. It had managed to land onto the wreckage, some stroke of luck preventing it from sinking into the depths of the ocean, but the sound it had made when it landed hadn't been to reassuring. She could only sit and pray that her camera hadn't broken.

She was no longer close enough to hear them talking but based on the outraged cries of chefs and pirates alike, she assumed it was about nothing good. She'd heard something about destroying a ship…? Well whatever happens happens she figured, there really was no point in her worrying about it. Right now she had more important things to worry about. Like getting back onto the ship without getting her bag wet.

 _Okay Nora._ She thought, desperately gripping to the plank of wood, clenching her teeth as her knuckles turned white from her grip. _You've done a lot of crazy stuff these last couple of days so you can do! If you can survive a crazy hypnotist pirate you can survive a bit of swimming._

Even as she gave herself a mental pep-talk, she could feel fear building up in her chest. Now it wasn't that she _couldn't_ swim, it was more so that she couldn't swim very well in the _ocean_. When combining the currents and the waves with the thought of all the terrifying creatures that could be lurking below the surface, it just wasn't the most pleasant experience. She could practically picture the three-eyed beasts that could potentially be waiting to bite her leg off. But right now, she needed to suck it up and accept that she didn't have any other option. At least she had some of the shipwreck to keep her afloat…

Ignoring the ruckus coming from what was left of the Baratie's deck and fins, she began her struggle to get back to the boat. But _of course_ , like everything else that had been happening in her life since she had died, that was much easier said than done. She couldn't just peacefully paddle back to the ship and watch everything play out. _Of course_ she wasn't allowed a moment of peace.

With a loud yelp of shock, Nora whipped her head around at the sudden feeling of _something_ brushing up against her leg underneath the water. The moment she felt that, she was done. As much as she would have liked to take a proper look and see that it was only something harmless like seaweed, she wasn't willing to risk it. Using the wreck of the ship as a paddle board, she booked it straight out of there, all thoughts of not being a strong swimmer replaced with not wanting to have her leg bitten off by a shark. Kicking her legs furiously, creating splashes of water as she went, she ignored the cries of the chefs and pirates who she happened to cross paths with and just kept going. She was _not_ going to have her leg bitten off by anything.

Now she certainly wasn't the best swimmer and she was sure that she looked far from graceful as she booked it out of there but in that moment, she couldn't really bring herself to care. She'd never admit to it but she let out quite a number of panicked yelps every time she thought felt something touch her. Even when she realised that if she was being chased by some terrifying creature it would have already eaten her, she didn't slow down. Now looking back on it, she could see that perhaps that wasn't the most rational reaction but it is better to be safe than sorry.

"Out of the way!" She screeched, speeding past some rather shocked looking pirates, their faces paling in terror. "I'm gonna die!"

It was only as she kept paddling at her rapid pace that she began to get a sinking feeling in her stomach. With her furious kicking slowly down, she felt her terror being replaced with dread. As she looked around at all of the chefs and listened in to the shouts and words of Don Krieg, she realised what exactly was happening. Nora realised that perhaps having her leg bitten off by some terrifying sea creature should be slightly lower on her list of concerns: perhaps just under dying of poisonous gas inhalation.

 _I really can't catch a break today._ She cursed, slamming her face onto her makeshift paddle board with a curse. _I'm really going to die!_

Now in full panic mode for a completely different reason, she began kicking desperately in the direction she had just come from, trying to get as far away from the ship as possible. She knew she didn't stand a chance against any of the pirates in the water so that ruled out stealing one of their gas masks. Her only hope was to paddle as far out as she could and stick her head under the water and hoped for the best. One thing she supposed she should be thankful of was that in her panicked state, she hadn't actually managed to travel that far. She was already quite a distance from the ship so she just hoped she'd be fine. The fact that a number of the chefs had also stopped their frantic swimming around the same spot she had was reassuring. She didn't recall any of them dying so she _should_ be fine.

 _If I'm not fine, I guess I'll just be dying again._ She thought bitterly as she gulped in a deep breath of air. _We'll see what fictional I'm transported to this time._

Ducking under the water, she held her breath and could do nothing more than wait and hope for the best. She didn't dare open her eyes, her fear preventing her from doing so. There was far too much room for something to go wrong for her in this situation. Perhaps she'd open her eyes and see a terrifying sea creature that was about to eat her or perhaps some of the gas would seep into the water and blind her. Either way, she really didn't want to take any risks. That combined with the fact that she never was one of those people who could open their eyes underwater, stopped her from even bothering to try and take a peek. She stayed under until her lungs burned and even then, she refused to go up. Poison gas didn't just go away in a matter of seconds. Even if she missed the initial hit, that didn't mean she'd be fine.

 _I can't hold it any longer._ She cursed as her lungs burned and her consciousness began to fade. _If I stay under any longer I'll drown._

Pushing herself up to the surface, using the last remaining bits of her energy, she sucked in breath of the salty air, grasping desperately onto her makeshift paddleboard. Leaning her head against it as she all but hacked her lungs up, she began to feel her consciousness slowly come back, her vision clearing as she breathed in more air.

"Pirates using poison gas…" She heard one of the chefs from besides her speak when she was finally able to lift her head up. "This is unheard of!"

"He's a demon for sure!" One of the other chefs added on in agreement, a statement to which she found herself agreeing with. He truly was a monster.

"I hope everyone's okay…" She muttered, her weight resting on the wood, her bag thankfully still afloat.

From where she was, she was relieved to see that both the pirates and chefs alike all seemed to be fine. She knew however that there would be one exception to that. She felt her heart sink in her chest as she thought of Gin. Deep down, she wanted to believe that he would be okay, that he had somehow used a mask instead of sacrificing himself but she knew better. He wasn't going to be fine.

They stayed like that for quite sometime, watching as the gas gradually cleared while the chefs nervously waited to see if everyone aboard the Baratie was okay. Perhaps you'd think that knowing what was going to happen, knowing the future of this world, would have prevented Nora from feeling the same nerves and worry, yet it didn't. Instead, she got to feel the nerves and worry along with an awful dose of dread. She could only lay there and nervously chew on her lip as her heart clenched in her chest. The last time she'd felt this awful was the night before an exam she hadn't studies for. She'd somehow managed to pass that exam but she doubted that this situation was going to have a happy ending like that.

"Hey look!" One of the chefs to her right called out, snapping her from her dread and making her glance upwards. "The poison gas is clearing up!"

True to his words, the final parts of the hazy gas were being blown away in a gust of wind, uncovering the Baratie to them once again. From her position she could see Luffy pulling a mask from his face, no obvious damage from what she could see: thankfully he was alright. She could also see that Sanji was alive. He looked a little worse for wear from his earlier fight but Gin having held his mask over the chef's face had saved him from the gas. And while she couldn't see Gin's face from that angle, she didn't feel as though things were looking up. She could see his limbs shaking as he kept the mask held against Sanji's face, the parts of his skin she could see looking terribly pale. As much as she wished for it to not be true, she didn't think he'd make it. While he had never been shown to die, the effects of the gas were something she doubted it was something anyone could survive, no matter how much she wished that he could.

 _It should be safe enough to go back now,_ She decided with one final glance around for any remaining clouds of gas. _I need to get out of the damn ocean._

Swimming her way back to the floating restaurant, her makeshift paddleboard still in use, she was able to make it to the deck, or at least what remained of it, much faster than she had when she was flapping around in her earlier panic. Hauling herself up onto the deck she frowned when she noted just how sopping wet her clothes were. They were good quality material so she just hoped that the seawater wouldn't wreck them: she really did like this outfit. Now onto the deck, she watched Patty and Carne carried Gin past her and up to the second floor. Despite the fact that his face was now covered by a gasmask, she could tell that her earlier prediction had been accurate: he looked absolutely awful.

"Hey! Calm down you idiot! Charging directly at him is exactly what he wants!" She heard Sanji yell out, making her turn her head to see him desperately gripping onto Luffy's arm to hold him back. "You'll get yourself killed!"

"Luffy." She said as she walked over to the pair. "He's right. Be careful."

"I will be! I'm not gonna die!" Luffy spoke, glaring at Krieg as he shook off the weakened Sanji, only sparing her a brief glance. While he didn't say anything, it looked like he was relieved to see she was okay. Kneeling down besides the chef, she sighed as Luffy charged towards the pirate. "If you wanna shoot at me then go ahead! Shoot as much as you want!"

"Hey!" Sanji shouted with one final attempt to grab him, an attempt that was unsuccessful. "Fine! Do whatever the hell you want!"

"He's so reckless isn't he?" Nora spoke with a shake of her head, crossing her legs as she watched on. "I'm sure he'll be fine though."

"He's an idiot." Sanji spoke as he turned to glance at her. She could see the pain on his face from the small movement. "Are you okay Nora-chan? Did you get hurt?"

"I'm fine." She said, glancing over at his injuries with a small wince. From the looks of it he'd have _at least_ a few broken ribs. She knew all too well just how painful that could be. "I don't know if the same can be said for you…"

"Don't worry about me Nora-chan." Sanji said, a grave expression coming onto his face as he turned to watch the fight between Krieg and Luffy, watching as the spear-like projectiles were sent flying towards Luffy. "Your captain's the one who's just gone to run towards his death."

"He'll make it out alive." She said, teeth worrying her lips as she decided now wouldn't be the best of times to remind the chef that she wasn't a pirate. There was more pressing issues at hand.

"He's been hit!" Sanji gasped out as they watched on of the spears lodge itself into his arm. Luffy however did not waver, he instead continued to charge, ignoring the pain she had no doubt he would be feeling.

Despite knowing that Luffy would be fine, watching this fight was difficult for her, even more so than when she had read it in the manga and watched it in the anime. Seeing Don Krieg using all of these cheap shots and seeing Luffy get hurt was absolutely horrible for her to watch.

"That son of a…" Sanji hissed from besides her as Krieg unveiled his spiked cape and Luffy swung back to punch him. "It's a spike-covered cape!"

From around her, the chefs began to cry out in shock at the reveal of Krieg's cape, believing that Luffy wouldn't be able to land a hit on him. Something that she knew not to be true. Taking her polaroid from her bag, she readied herself to capture the moment she had been waiting for since this damn fight had started. She wasn't very close to the scene but the photo would still capture the oh so satisfying moment all the same. The moment that Krieg received one of Luffy's infamous punches. As his fist connected oh so satisfyingly with Krieg's face, she pressed down the button just as she had numerous times before.

"What a reckless guy!" Sanji yelled out in shock from besides her, watching as Krieg's skidded across the piece of shipwreck he was on.

"Nice one Luffy!" Nora cried out as a grin spread across her face. She felt a swell of pride in her chest as pirates and chefs alike gaped at the scene before them. When she heard the sound of footsteps approaching, she turned back to see Zeff approaching on a crutch. "Did you see that? Wasn't it awesome!?"

"I certainly did see it." He replied with a nod in her direction, shaking his head ever so slightly. "You've chosen to follow a reckless captain."

"He's not my captain." She replied, letting out a small laugh. "But I can certainly agree with the reckless part."

"Watch him carefully Sanji. There are guys like him every now and then." Zeff spoke, now turning towards the dumbstruck looking chef besides her. " Idiots that fight to the death once they decide on a goal… A guy like him is the worst enemy you can face. Whether he wins or loses this match… I like guys like him."

"He'll win. It may not be an easy fight but he'll win." She said, any previous worry she had melting away. "I'm certain of it."

"How can you be so sure…?" Sanji asked as he turned to her with an incredulous look on his face. "He's lost so much blood!"

"Have some faith in him." She said with a grin. "He'll be fine."

It was almost immediately after she said that that Don Krieg stood from the ground and slammed his shield into Luffy, sending him flying into the air. Despite this, her faith in the boy did not waver. She continued to watch on as he twisted himself around in the air to send a bone-rattling kick into the pirates face. Nora would be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying watching Krieg get beat up. It was a shame that the other parts of the fight, with his cheap shots and Luffy being injured, weren't as enjoyable to watch.

"H-He knocked the Don down again!" Came the petrified shouts of the Krieg Pirates who watched on in shock as their captain was once again down. "Just who is he?!"

"Told you he'd be fine." She said, turning to Sanji with a wide grin and a thumbs up. "Krieg doesn't stand a chance."

Around them, the pirates and chefs alike were beginning to voice their thoughts and she could see that they were beginning to get to Krieg. She watched as the irritation grew on his face as his crew began more and more worried that he was going to lose the fight. Despite knowing it was coming, she couldn't help but flinch as Krieg withdrew his spear and sent it flying into the piece of shipwreck he had been standing on. The wood splintered at the impact and caused waves to spread.

"That's a scary spear." Nora noted, watching as a hit from tit sent Luffy flying. "That could do some serious damage."

"The longer this fight goes on the worse off he'll be…" Sanji spoke from besides her, watching on intently. "He's losing too much blood!"

"Luffy will just have to finish this quickly then." She replied, watching on just as intently as he was, flinching every so often.

It continued on for quite some time with Luffy only narrowly dodging the strikes coming in his direction. Truthfully, it was quite nerve-wracking to watch. She'd lost count of the number of times Luffy had almost fallen into the water. She could only sit and hope that it would hurry up and end. Sanji had been right when he had said Luffy had lost too much blood. When Krieg finally landed a hit on him, Nora felt herself freeze up. Watching as he was sent sprawling, she had to bite down on her tongue to stop herself from letting out a shout.

"Errand boy!" Sanji shouted in worry, a horrified look on his face, a look that perfectly matched how Nora was feeling at that very moment.

It was then that Luffy stood back up and Krieg's war spear finally shattered. She felt a rush of relief spread through her at the sight. While the weapon would still be able to explode, at least there wouldn't be a blade to draw anymore blood from Luffy's rapidly paling body.

"Oh thank god." She sighed, unclenching her fists, flopping backwards against the deck as her heart beat rapidly in her chest.

As she attempted to calm her racing heart beat down, she could hear Krieg's voice in the distance, telling Luffy that he was going to lose, noting that he was spreading blood around. A statement that was unfortunately very true. All of the shipwrecked 'islands' that Luffy and Krieg had been jumping to were covered with the red substance. Seeing that much blood around was an unsettling sight, made even more unsettling by the fact that she knew it belonged to someone she considered a friend.

"He's right. That errand boy should be on the verge of collapsing!" Sanji, who was still sat besides her spoke, never taking his eyes off of the pair. "With those wounds, if he takes even just one more blast from that spear he'll be killed!"

"Stop being so negative." She said, lightly flicking his side, ignoring the own worry in her chest. "Luffy will be _fine_."

"But with all those weapons and armour it's almost impossible to beat him!" He continued, glancing over to her with a troubled look on his face.

"But you know Sanji, no matter how many hundreds of weapons or armour one is equipped with, they're no match for that 'one special spears' that comes from your guts." Zeff spoke, his arms crossed and as stern as ever, Sanji glancing over at him in confusion. "On the pirates battlefield where life and death are decided, the one who fears death and hesitates for even an instant shall fall to their doom."

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, turning back to his mentor with a frown of confusion.

"Within that boy, if nothing else, lies no hesitation." Zeff explained, making her smile. She couldn't agree with that statement more. "Perhaps it stems from his complete preparedness to survive no matter what, or his conviction that fears no death."

"That and he's just a bit of a reckless idiot." Nora added in with a laugh, watching as Luffy jumped around to avoid Krieg before throwing a broken part of mast at his enemy. A broken part of mast that was instantly burned by flames.

"A flamethrower?!" Sanji cried out in shock. "How many weapons does this guy have on him?"

"Maybe the size of his weapons arsenal is to make up for the size of something else." She said with a snicker, at the very least, _she_ thought her jokes were funny.

It was then that Luffy used his gattling gun attack, sending an uncountable number of punches flying in Kriegs direction. Despite the power behind the attack, they did nothing with the amount of armour that the pirate captain was wearing. He hardly flinched at the attacks being sent in his direction. The same couldn't be said however when one of Luffy's bullet punches was sent into it, the pain being evident on his enemies face. Yet despite this, he still persisted and sent Luffy flying with a punch of his own. It was then that his anger seemed to peak, shouting obscenities at Luffy in a complete fit of rage, jumping up on top of the broken mast of his ship.

"He's going to throw those bombs down to destroy that whole platform!" The chefs who were still in the water began to shout out in panic. "Run away, errand boy!"

This however did not deter Luffy, something of which was no surprise to Nora. He instead ran up the mast, once again defying the laws of physics, with his arms stretched out behind him. From what she could tell, it looked like they were about to witness a bazooka attack.

"You idiot! Don't run towards him!" Sanji shouted out with his jaw clenched. "Get away! It's a trap!"

"How useless! " Krieg yelled, sounding smug as he sent an attack directly at Luffy, once again using his cheap shots. "That's exactly what I thought you'd do!"

Watching as Luffy was kept going, Nora could hope that this fight would soon be over. He was looking paler and paler and she could see that despite everything, the amount of blood he had lost was beginning to get to him. Krieg had somehow managed to avoid the first blast, jumping off and creating another explosion, yet even as the chefs around her cried out in shock, she let out a sigh of relief. This fight was coming to it's end. If she remembered correctly, it wouldn't be long before his armour would shatter. It was his second gum-gum bazooka that proved her prediction to be true, in turn, relaxing some of the tension in her shoulders. Despite looking worse for wear, Luffy wasn't going to be losing this fight.

The tension quickly came back when he managed to capture Luffy in a net.

"The idiots gone and got himself tied up." She sighed as she massaged her temples. "If I spend to much more time with him, I'm going to die early because of stress!"

"The one who laughs at the end is always me!" Krieg shouted, a victorious grin spreading across his lips as he prepared to dump Luffy into the sea.

Nora imagined that this attack would be much more successful if the net was a seastone one. Because it wasn't, Luffy was easily able to stretch his arms out of the net and move onto his next attack. From besides her, she could see Sanji was watching on in a mixture of disbelief and awe as he continued to fight.

"How can he keep on fighting, even now?" Zeff spoke, glancing down at Sanji who couldn't seem to be able to tear his eyes away from the fight. "Is that what you were wondering?"

"Ah." She spoke, watching as the Krieg Pirates in the water began to withdraw weapons to fire at Luffy. "It seems that there are some people trying to interfere."

From besides her, Sanji quickly jumped into action, his earlier injuries seemingly forgotten and Nora found herself following closely behind. Watching as he jumped onto the faces of two of the pirates, sending their weapons flying, she grinned at the loyalty that he already seemed to be growing for Luffy. He was definitely destined to join the Straw Hats.

"Quit it." He snarled at the pirates. "Or I'll kill the lot of you."

Despite his rather intimidating threat, it seemed that one of the pirates was not discouraged. As he pointed his crossbow at Luffy, finger on the trigger and ready to fire, she acted as quickly as she could. Grabbing a piece of wood from the ocean, she sent it hurling at the pirate, directly into his face. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't proud with her efforts as she watched the pirate lose consciousness.

"You heard the chef, didn't you?" She said with a grin in their direction. "Quit it or he'll kill you."

It was at that moment that Luffy made the final attack, finishing off the fight once and for all. The moment Luffy's sledgehammer attack sent the man flying into the deck, cries erupted from all around: the chefs crying out in victory while the pirates began to go into a state of pure panic.

"Nice one Luf-" Nora began to cheer in excitement, only to cut herself off when she watched the boy fall into the ocean. Gripping the sides of her head, she let out a shout. "Luffy you idiot! Damn it! I can't swim well enough to go and fish you out!"

"What're you sitting there for? Hurry up and go rescue him because he ain't coming up on his own." She could hear Zeff speaking to Sanji from behind her. "Isn't that right girl?"

"The idiot's going to end up drowning." She cried out in agreement, dragging her hand down her face. "He's a damn anchor!"

"Those with special abilities obtained from devil are hated by the sea and can't swim." Zeff elaborated on her rather unhelpful answer, glancing at both herself and Sanji in what she believed to be amusement.

"You damn geezer!" Sanji shouted, jumping up and now just as stressed as she was. "You should've told me sooner."

"I really am going to die of stress." Nora sighed as she slumped onto the deck, to her left she noticed Luffy's hat sitting on the deck. She couldn't seem to stop the fond smile that spread across her lips. "Hmph. What an idiot."

Picking up his hat, she carefully shook it, getting rid of all the dust and debris that had managed to get on it through the course of that whole ordeal. As she twisted it around her finger and waited for the Luffy to come back and retrieve his ha, she found herself looking back on the day's events. The fight had been no more than a few hours yet it felt like an eternity had passed. Pirates truly did live amazing lives. They also lived incredibly dangerous ones. Today truly had been stressful for her. Seeing so many of the people that she had befriended get injured just wasn't something she could imagine herself doing every time they faced an enemy.

 _You wouldn't have to do that if you got stronger though._ A small part of her mind whispered, making her sigh. _You could train and learn to become strong enough._

Those thoughts were shaken off and put away for a later date when Krieg stood from the ground and shook off a number of his crewmates that had been tending to his wounds. As he shouted out, in a state between consciousness and unconsciousness, she stood and prepared to get away, just in case he decided to attack.

"Don't worry Nora-chan." Sanji spoke, hauling himself and a passed out Luffy onto the deck and pointing towards the entrance. "It'll be fine"

"Gin." She said, letting out a breath as she recognised the figure making his way onto the deck. Sitting down besides the pair, she dumped Luffy straw hat to cover his face. "I'm exhausted."

"Don Krieg. We've lost. Let's retreat for today and start anew." Gin spoke, suddenly appearing and sending a fist into the man's stomach. He then hauled his captain over his shoulder and began to walk away from the Baratie. "Thanks for everything, Sanji."

"Yeah…" Sanji said, letting out a huff of air. "Please don't come again."

At this statement, Nora couldn't help but throw back her head and let out a burst of laughter, flopping onto her back besides Luffy as she clutched her stomach.

"Hey! Did you forget you inhaled poison!" Patty shouted, running out the door and towards Gin. "Deadly poison!"

"And what're you trying to do taking away the very man who tried to kill you?!" Carne added in, pointing his finger at the man slung over his shoulder.

"Sanji… When he wakes up, could you pass him this message?" Gin spoke, glancing at the chef from the sides of his eyes. "'Let's meet again, out on the Grand Line.'"

"You're…" Sanji spoke in disbelief, staring at Gin with a frown. "You're still going to be a pirate?"

"He's still drawn to the sea." She said with a shake of her head, her laughter having died down. "I don't think I'll ever quite understand the mentality of a pirate, no matter how admirable it may be sometimes."

"When I think about it, there's nothing else I want to do." He explained to them, letting out a huff of air as a smile came to his face. "I guess before I realised it, Don Krieg's ambition became mine as well."

 _Krieg doesn't deserve some so loyal._ Nora sighed, watching on sadly as the effects that the poison had on Gin became evident, the man slumping slightly under Krieg's weight as he coughed up blood. _The world can be cruel sometimes._

"I might only have… a few more hours to live… So it might be a bit cowardly for me to make this decision only at the end of my life, but it's still good for me nonetheless." He rasped out, ignoring the concerned shouts of Sanji and his fellow pirates. "I've decided that this time, I'll do things of my own will… In my own way. If I do that, I won't have a place to run away to, right?"

 _He's accepted his own death… Perhaps he'll somehow survive_. She thought, glancing down sadly at the deck and clenching her jaw as small tears began to form in her eyes. _Maybe, by some luck, one day, he really will meet with Luffy in the Grand Line. He doesn't deserve to die, not here, not now._

"Patty, Carne! Give them the boat we use to go out and buy ingredients!" Sanji ordered the pair, not turning back to look at them. When they began to protest, he turned back to yell at them with a glare. "Shut up and give them the damn boat already!"

"You didn't have to yell." Patty yelled as the pair ran off, tears in their eyes. If she weren't so saddened by Gin's fate, she would have found the scene to be comical.

"Calculating, cautious hesitation and whatnot…" Gin spoke with a smile, placing his captain down. "When I look at him, all those things seem so stupid."

"He does tend to make you feel that way doesn't he?" Nora said, sending a small smile to the pirate. "Makes you feel almost like you could do anything."

"He really does." He responded with a laugh, his crewmates beginning to climb out of the water and onto the boat that Patty and Carne had reluctantly brought. Following his crewmates lead, he hopped onto the overcrowded boat. The Krieg pirates had practically formed a mountain on the thing: she had no idea how it hadn't sunk. "Thanks again, it's alright if I don't return this boat, right?"

"If you have the balls to come back and return it, go ahead." Sanji said, smirking at the man. "Weakling."

"Some restaurant this is." Gin spoke with a fond smile and a shake of his head. "We'll be off now."

Feeling a smile make it's way onto her own lips, Nora pulled out her polaroid and took a step back, getting the overflowing ship in the camera's frame. She was so used to taking photos from a boat that it was almost strange to be taking one of a boat sailing away.

"Oi! Smile for the camera! One the count of three, I want all of you to shout, 'we're going to sink this ship!" Nora shouted, pointing her camera in the ship's direction. "One, two, three!'

"We're going to sink this ships!" With that, she pressed the button and captured yet another memory.

* * *

 **And there we go, this chapter is finally finished! I'm so so sorry that it's a weak late, I feel absolutely awful about having taken so long. If I'm being honest, I found this chapter quite difficult to write. I didn't want to bore you all with nothing but dialogue but at the same time, there wasn't much room for me to have Nora do some things because, well they were in the middle of the ocean. Either way, I hope you enjoyed what I managed to come up with for this chapter.**

 **On a happier note, I went back and edited the first chapter and when I say edited it, I mean I somehow managed to add an extra thousand or so words to it. You don't need to go back and reread it because I mainly just made it flow better and wrote her more in character but if you want to, please go ahead! The only notable change was that I had Nora flip off Helmeppo, something I definitely should have included when I first published it.**

 **I also want to say thank you for all of the support this story has gotten recently! 174 follows and 128 favourites is absolutely insane! I can't believe I've somehow managed to get so many readers. You're all absolutely amazing and I appreciate your support so much. I'd also like to thank you to everyone who has ever left a review! They all mean so much to me and honestly make me so happy. If I'm ever struggling writing a chapter, I go back and look at all the kind things you guys have said to me to get myself motivated! Thank you all so much! I hope you continue to enjoy this story because I've got some really exciting things happening soon.**

 **One final thing, don't forget to go and follow my writing tumblr dreamscape-fanfics tumblr com (with dots instead of spaces). You can go and ask me any questions, request small little drabbles and read some tumblr exclusive stuff there! I'm also going to be posting some pictures of Nora soon so if you're interested, go and give it a follow :)**

 **I'll see you all next week with chapter 13! Don't forget to leave a review, follow and favourite! See ya! x**


	13. Lookalikes

**I'm so sorry for taking so long to update! Schools been super stressful so hopefully this chapter makes up for it!**

 **I was actually motivated to write because of a review that (I felt) was quite rude. I won't go to much into it but I don't think they were necessarily meaning to be rude, but it did come across that way. I just don't think it's necessary to leave a long comment listing all your reasons for hating a story and why you won't read it if you're not going to include any constructive comments along with it! Anyway thanks to all of you who leave kind, constructive and helpful comments! They really make my day and motivate me to write :)**

* * *

The Misadventures of Nora

Chapter 13

Lookalikes

* * *

"He really is a reckless idiot." Sanji sighed from besides her, staring out at the ocean with an almost fond look his face. "All this trouble."

"He's a good person though." Nora replied with a small smile, glancing over her shoulder at the reckless idiot they were talking about. Luffy was still in bed, knocked out from his injuries but he was slowly regaining colour, much to her relief. She was no expert but she expected that soon enough he'd be waking up.

 _Luffy can only stay asleep for so long with the smell of food wafting through the air._ She thought with a small chuckle, a fond look on her face.

"For someone who keeps denying being on his crew you seem to be quite loyal towards him." Sanji noted, the effects of the earlier battle stopping him from breaking out into his playboy ways. "Why keep travelling with him if you don't plan to join?"

She didn't answer his question right away, instead staring out at the rolling waves, mulling over it in her head. Truthfully, she had been beginning to wonder the same thing. She could keep coming up with excuses but the truth of it was that if she had really wanted to stay on those other islands, she could have. She could have stopped going back to talk to them, she could have just disappeared on any of the islands without a goodbye. With their quick departures, they wouldn't have had the chance to come and find her. So why? Why did she keep going back to them?

"I suppose I've always been amazed by those great adventure stories you always hear about." Nora thought aloud, tapping her fingers idly on the ship's railing. "I suppose even though I know I shouldn't, there's part of me that wants to be able to go on a great adventure."

"Like the one he's bound to go on?" Sanji spoke from besides her, his words sounding more like a statement than a question. "I guess I can understand how you feel."

Before she was given the chance to reply, she heard the sound of rustling coming from the bed behind them, followed shortly by a shout.

"My hat!"

 _And he's finally awake._ She thought as a grin spread across her face. _About damn time.  
_  
"It's right there, isn't it?" Sanji said, glancing backwards at Luffy as he panicked looking for his hat.

"I made sure to grab it for you Luffy." Nora said, turning around to lean against the railing, sending him a thumbs up from the window.

"Oh… it is." He said with a sigh of relief, his precious straw hat now firmly in his grip. "Thanks Nora."

"So you woke up, did you now?" Sanji asked, not turning back to glance at Luffy who had taken to ripping off some of his bandaging. "Sorry but we've run out of more bandages."

"Don't need it." Luffy said, continuing to rip them off, much to Nora's disdain.

"Luffy keep them on!" She said, walking closer to the window with a frown. "You need to keep your wounds covered so they don't get infected."

"Don't need to." He stubbornly replied, reaching to tear off yet another bandage from his arm. She felt her eyebrow twitch slightly at the action.

"Yes you do!" Nora protested, all but climbing through the window attempting, and failing, to stop his efforts at removing his bandages. "Stop moving!"

"What happened to those guys?" Luffy asked, ignoring her attempts as he turned to face Sanji. By those guys she could only assume he meant the Krieg Pirates.

"They left. Thanks to you." Sanji responded, his cigarette firmly between his lips, a smile slowly spreading. "'Let's meet out on the Grand Line' is what Gin said before leaving."

"Cool." Luffy said with a grin. Nora was already preparing to face palm based on the look on his face. "He said that to you?"

"To you, dumbass!" Sanji whipped around to yell while she shook her head with a sigh.

"Actually…I believe that what he said applied to the both of you." She said glancing between the pair. Before Sanji could protest, she turned back to Luffy, digging around in her bag. "I made sure to get a photo of them leaving. They looked really funny all piled up on that small boat."

"They all got on there without sinking?" Luffy asked with wide eyes, a grin spreading across his face. That grin quickly morphed into a look of excitement and relief. "Ah! That's right! I'm finally done with being an errand boy as of today! 'Cause I made that promise with the old man!"

"Right, congrats." Sanji responded, still staring out at the ocean.

"Back to your adventure now Luffy." Nora added, watching as he excitedly made his way to stand besides the window, grinning at Sanji's back.

"So then, you wanna-" He began, only to be quickly cut off by the chef.

"I ain't gonna be a pirate." Sanji spoke with a self assured nod as he huffed out a breath of smoke. "I'm gonna stay here and be a cook until the day that damn geezer acknowledges my cooking…"

"Fine." Said a dejected Luffy, making his way back to the bed. "I'll give up."

 _What an idiot._ She grinned as she stifled her laughter, watching as Luffy's grip on Sanji didn't release, even as he trudged back to the bed. _He literally can't let it go.  
_  
"But your hand hasn't given up!" Sanji ground out, trying to shake himself from the boys extended grip.

"There, there Luffy." Nora said, patting his arm. "We're not leaving just yet so there's still time for him to change his mind."

"Nora-chan." Sanji sighed, finally free from his future captain's grip. "I thought you'd be on my side."

All she could do was laugh, a blissful smile on her lips.

* * *

It was shortly after that that Nora had left the two boys to talk. As much as she wished to stay and watch Sanji's eyes light up as he talked about the East Blue, she had set her mind to something else.

She wanted, no she _needed_ , to get some answers from Zeff.

She could deny it as much as she wanted but the fact still stood that _both_ Zeff and Mihawk had noticed something strange to do with her necklace. There was also that incident with Buggy back in Orange Town that she had done her best to push aside. The fact that she was here in the first place was strange enough but to then have people recognising the strange necklace that had appeared in her bag and then have people claim she looked like someone, well, she wanted answers.

 _I can practically feel my life turning into one of those OC fanfictions._ She thought with a snort as she stomped around the Baratie with renewed vigour. _Getting told I look like someone, getting a strange and mysterious necklace… What's next? Maybe I'll grow a pair of wings._

She instantly cringed at that thought. The effort that would go into that would be far too much: cutting holes in clothes and cleaning the wings and whatnot. She wasn't sure how Monet had made it looks so easy in the anime…

"What are you doing stomping around with a frown on your face?" She heard someone call out from behind her, stopping her in her tracks. "That stupid playboy didn't do anything to annoy you, did he?"

"No. He's actually been quite well behaved." She replied with a chuckle, turning around to face just the person she was looking for. "I was actually looking for you."

"For me?" Zeff asked, frowning at her before letting out a sigh of understanding. "I suppose Hawk-Eyes said something that has left you with a few questions."

"That would be correct." She responded as she crossed her arms, her frown deepening. "And please don't give me the same cryptic answers that he was giving."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to answer all of your questions because I simply don't know the answers." He responded, staring right back at her. "But if Sanji is going to be travelling with you, it's necessary that you know what dangers you're going to have to protect your friends from."

"Dangers?" She asked with a frown. "Hawk-Eyes did say something to me about being cautious."

"Come." Zeff said, gesturing for her to follow. "We'll go sit down to talk about this."

* * *

Zeff had led her through the seemingly endless corridors of the Baratie and into one of the rooms she assumed was used as a break room for the chefs. After she had taken a seat on one of the many couches, Zeff had busied himself with hustling around a small counter in the room, making them both a drink. With each second that passed she could feel her curiosity increasing. She felt so close yet so far from the answers that she needed.

"I'm sure you are aware that even before the start of the 'Great Pirate Era' that there were pirates wreaking havoc across the world's oceans." Zeff finally spoke as he placed the glass of hot chocolate down in front of her, sitting in the seat across from her.

"Of course." Nora responded with a nod, gently picking up her drink. "From what I know, there weren't as many but they were still quite troublesome."

"Yes. That's certainly true." He agreed with a nod, taking a sip from his own mug. "The government has done their best to erase any trace of pirates from that time but there are still many, especially in the Grand Line, that have not forgotten them. That would still recognise their faces."

"And what does this have to do with me?" She asked with a frown spreading across her lips, her eyebrows knitting in confusion. Lifting up her necklace, she rolled the gem between her fingers, watching as the light reflected off of it. "Or the better question is what does this have to do with this necklace?"

"I'm afraid that even without the necklace you'd still be connected to this." He responded, his fingers stroking idly at his braided moustache. "That necklace just confirms the connection rather than making it."

"Connection…?" She muttered, her frown only deepening. "What do you mean by that?"

"I believe that in some way, you may be related to one of the pirates from that time." Zeff explained, a stern look on his face. "I can't say for sure how you are connected, whether she is aunt, a mother or a more distant relative, but there was a woman from the East Blue who wore that necklace and looked a hell of a lot like you."

"Huh?" Came Nora's intelligent response, her face blank with unblinking eyes. Zeff's words didn't seem to properly registering, her mind going blank.

"She was a ruthless pirate to put it lightly." He continued, looking almost nostalgic. "Could take out a whole ship in the blink of an eye."

"Wait, wait, _wait_." Nora cut in, a look of pure confusion on her face. "You think _I'm_ related to some terrifying pirate?!"

 _There is no way this is possible._ She thought, waiting for the ex-pirate across from her to respond. _I just don't see how this could be true.  
_  
"She was never seen without that necklace on." He told her with a nod. "It was a gift from her captain I believe. She treasured it more than anything."

"But how can you be sure it's the same necklace?" She reasoned, refusing to believe the words he spoke. "You said she was never seen without it so how would I have ended up with it?"

"Don't try to deny it. It'll get you nowhere." He responded with a sigh. "That's a one of a kind gem on that necklace."

"Well assuming I am somehow related to this mystery pirate, who exactly is she?" Nora asked. She needed more details. Even if the chances of it being true were slim, she wasn't going to accept this cryptid answers. "Whose crew was she on."

"That's something you'll need to learn for yourself." He responded seriously. As much as she wanted to make him tell her, the tone in his voice presented her from doing so. "Just know that the resemblance between the pair of you is enough to cause you a whole world of trouble."

"So what you're saying is that I'm in a pretty bad situation." She groaned, leaning forwards and cradling her head in her hands. "Why is it always me?"

She had managed to come to terms with dying. She had even been able to accept that she in the _One Piece_ world. Accepting that she had somehow had the scars from the accident travel worlds with her had been hard but she'd come to terms with that one as well. But this, _this_ was just ridiculous. She'd been _joking_ when she thought about her life becoming a fanfiction. She hadn't meant it literally! The thought of somehow being related to some fearful and mysterious pirate was something she refused to believe. That also brought up the question of _how?_ Accepting that she had died and travelled worlds was one thing, the possibility of someone else doing it was something entirely different. She had no doubts she was from her world. That would mean that her potential pirate mother had either come to this world just as she had, or jumped back and forth between the worlds multiple times. She simply couldn't believe any of that. But even then, Zeff was right. She could choose to ignore it and not believe it but that wouldn't change how others reacted. Even if she ditched the necklace, she doubted it would help. Buggy had recognised her before she had found the necklace in her bag.

"So when Hawk-Eyes was saying I shouldn't assume that I'd be safe in the East Blue, this was what he meant." She groaned with her head still in her hands. "This is bad. Very, _very_ bad."

"If the government realises the connection you have, they won't hesitate." Zeff spoke almost sympathetically. "You'll be automatically branded a criminal by birth."

" _Potential_ connection by _potential_ birth." She cut in with a frown, still refusing to believe all that she'd been told. "There's no proof."

"What I'm saying is that perhaps you should stop turning down Straw Hat's offer." He spoke, her eyes widening at his words. "You're eventually going to be branded a criminal and you'll end up having to be on the run. A potential relative of _that_ woman isn't something that will be taken lightly."

She wanted to argue with that, to say he was wrong. She wanted to believe that the government wouldn't hunt her down at kill her simply because she looked liked an old pirate but she knew all too well that it would be a lie. The way they had treated Ace, the way they were _going_ to treat him, was evidence of that.

"You think I should become a pirate." She stated. It wasn't a question she needed to ask. She knew this was what he was telling her.

"You're going to be branded a criminal either way." He said with a laugh, standing up from his seat and patting her shoulder. "You might as well be a criminal surrounded by friends."

With those words, Zeff left her alone in the room with nothing but her racing thoughts and a cold hot chocolate.

* * *

She wasn't sure how long she sat in that room, a million thoughts racing through her head, but at some point, she figured that sitting around wasn't getting her anywhere. She could worry about this later. What she had learned today didn't change the fact that she would still be leaving the Baratie with the Straw Hats and that she would going to the next island with them. She could worry about this later. There was more pressing things to worry about now.

So with that in mind, she shook her head of all the thoughts from her head and left the room, making her way down the hallways, following the sound of crashing plates. She could only assume that that sound was the sound of the chefs throwing down Sanji's soup. It seemed their time on the Baratie was finally coming to a close.

 _Sounds like the noise is coming from in here._ She thought to herself as she quietly opened the door. The sight of broken plates and soup covering the floor when she entered proved that to be true. _Such a waste of soup…_

"Would you mind taking that lil' Eggplant with you?" Zeff was saying as she stepped into the room. "Take him to the Grand Line… It's his dream."

"You're really advocating for people to join Luffy's crew today." Nora managed to let out a laugh, finding the humour in her rather dismal situation. "Next thing we know, you'll be trying to hand over all of your cooks."

"I'm just saying what I believe is the best thing for everyone." Zeff said, turning to her with a plate of soup. "Now shut up and eat up."

"Thank you." She smiled, taking a seat on the ground besides Luffy as she tuned out the shouting of the chefs around her. "What do you say Luffy? You going to take Sanji?"

"Take Sanji along?" Luffy spoke as he glanced up. Nora could feel the smirk coming to spread across her lips. "Don't wanna."

As the chefs around her cried out in horror, she sat with a smile and ate the soup, letting all of her worries leave her body. While Luffy explained his reasoning for saying no, she helped herself to another serving of the absolutely _delicious_ soup. The thought of being able to eat Sanji's cooking everyday was almost enough for her to make her tell Luffy she would join his crew. _Almost_.

Her brief moment of peace and acceptance quickly ended however as she found herself choking on the soup when Yosaku crashing through the wall looking like a merman.

"What the fu-" Nora screeched out, however she was quickly cut off by Luffy's concerned shout.

"Ah… Brother Luffy. Sister Nora." Yosaku spoke as he painfully raised a hand in greeting.

"What're you doing here alone?" Luffy asked crouching in front of him. "Where are the others? And what about Nami?"

"You're going to ignore the shark?!" She yelled out in exasperation. "He's literally inside the mouth of a shark!"

"Oh. Right." Luffy nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. We should probably do something about that."

"Probably?" She deadpanned, turning to Luffy with a blank stare. With a shake of her head she got up and began to yank Yosaku from the sea creatures mouth. "Someone go and get him a blanket. He's freezing."

It took quite some effort but with the help of Luffy and some of the chefs they had been able to free Yosaku from the mouth of the shark. They also discovered Sanji underneath it, having been sent through the wall along with the pair. Now Yosaku was sat upon a chair, wrapped in blankets as they all waited for him to explain what had happened.

"We couldn't catch up with sister Nami but judging from the way she headed, we're pretty sure we know where she's headed." He told them, still shivering with his lips tinted blue. When Luffy happily responded at that statement, Yosaku continued, sounding far from enthusiastic. "Well um… If she's headed to where we think she's headed to then it's an incredibly dangerous place."

"What? Don't tell me there's something we need to fear more than Don Krieg." Nora spoke, knowing full well what the answer to that question was. Soon enough, Luffy would be crossing paths with Arlong. Letting out a laugh she continued. "Either way, I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Well I'll fill you in on the details later. In any case, we need your strength." He continued speaking. "Please come right away!"

"Okay!" Luffy said with a nod, as self-assured as ever. "I don't know what's going on but fine, let's go!"

"How exciting." Nora drawled, the reality of having to back to a smaller boat finally hitting her. "I just _love_ sailing."

"Wait. Take me with you" Sanji spoke, halting them in their departure and sending the chefs into a shocked silence. "I'll accompany you on your way to becoming the Pirate King. After all, we both have crazy dreams so I'll tag along to fulfill mine."

 _He says that now but it will become so much more than that._ Nora thought as she watched on, once again being overwhelmed as she was reminded of the events she was witnessing. _The Straw Hats really are amazing…  
_  
"I'll be the cook for you ship." He said, glancing up with a smirk. "Sound good or bad?"

"Sounds great!" Luffy yelled with a whoop of excitement as he began to dance with Yosaku, his arming reaching over to drag her into the celebratory dance. "Nora! We have a chef now!"

As she found herself getting dragged out the door by the duo, she realised it was becoming harder and harder to say she wasn't on his crew.

* * *

"We haven't even left yet and you're going pale." Luffy said with a laugh, poking her cheek as if she was some strange creature that belonged on Gaimon's island. "I thought you didn't get seasick anymore."

"Are pirates supposed to get seasick?" One of the chefs asked with a laugh.

"Certainly something I've never seen before." Another replied.

"I haven't been on a boat this size for quite a while now." Nora groaned in protest as her stomach did flips. "I'll get used to it soon… I hope."

"Maybe you need to eat some limes." Yosaku suggested, watching as she slumped against the railing of Sanji's ship. "That fixed me!"

"That only works with scurvy." She replied, glancing up at him with a flat look. "I just hope Sanji hurries up so we can leave. The sooner we leave, the sooner I can get back on solid land."

"Brother cook is running late." Yosaku agreed with a nod.

"Ah, he's here." Luffy spoke as Sanji made his way through the sea of chefs, towards the small boat. Nora let out a snort at the timing. That was something that could only happen in fiction.

"This is payback for all those years!" Patty and Carne suddenly yelled out, jumping from the crowd and attempting to attack Sanji. To absolutely no one's surprise, their attempt was unsuccessful. Sanji was able to deal with them in no time at all.

"Let's go." Sanji said as he now stood in front of the ship, his bag in hand.

"Just like that?" Luffy asked with a confused frown. "No goodbye's?"

 _No need to worry Luffy._ She thought with a small smile, watching Zeff appear on the second story of the ship. _There'll be a goodbye.  
_  
"Don't catch a cold." Rang Zeff's voice, loud and clear the fond smile on his face unwavering.

Reaching into her bag, Nora felt her own widen as Sanji turned around with tears in his eyes. This truly was a heartwarming scene. She could already feel her eyes becoming slightly watery. She lined up her camera, wishing to capture a picture of the moment so that Sanji could hopefully look back fondly at it. With a click of a button, she added it to her seemingly ever growing collection of photos. When they got the Merry back, she hang it along the wall, just as she had done with the others.

 _The way I'm thinking makes it sound like I'm going to stay with them._ She shook her head at herself. _I can't decide on that just yet._

"You bastard!" She heard Patty and Carne cry out with tears of their own. "Goddamnit! We're gonna be so lonely without ya!"

"They're all so sweet." Nora said with a grin as all of the chefs began to bid Sanji a tearful goodbye. "Hopefully I can come back here one day."

"They're the kindest!" Yosaku sobbed from besides her, tears streaming down her face. "Cook brothers are the best!"

As Sanji hopped onto the boat, tears still falling from his eyes, Luffy threw his fist in the air with an excited grin on his face. It was finally time for them to depart the Baratie and move onto their next adventure.

"Alright! Let's set sail!"

 _And so the East Blue crew have all been introduced._ She thought with a smile, waving to the chefs and snapping one last picture of their shrinking forms. _Soon enough they'll be heading into the Grand Line. What an adventure that'll be._

* * *

"Nora?"

"Yes Luffy?" She responded, grimacing in pain.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his neck stretching so he could stare at her in confusion.

"Yoga." She responded, wincing as she felt a harsh pull in her leg muscles. "I'm trying to take my mind off of my seasickness."

Much to her surprise, it had actually been working. The pain from all her swimming around at the Baratie combined with the fact that she stretching her muscles more than she had in a very long time was actually doing quite a good job at stopping her from throwing up. She wished she had thought to do this on their earlier trips. She imagined it would have prevented her from puking a number of times.

"I thought yoga was supposed to be relaxing." Luffy said with a frown, watching as pained looks spread across her face. "You don't look very relaxed."

"Well I'm not as flexible as I used to be." She explained, attempting, and failing, to lower herself into a split. "I'll get there eventually."

To say she wasn't as flexible as she used to be was an understatement. She used to be able to drop into a split without any issues but now… well there were quite a few issues.

"Is this what you're trying to do?" He asked with a grin, dropping into a split in front of her. "It's easy!"

"Of course it's easy for you." She laughed, flopping onto her back with a pained huff. "You're made of rubber Luffy."

"You said you're not as flexible as you used to be…" Sanji noted, turning away from staring wistfully at the ocean. It seemed that he was still to deep in thought about leaving the Baratie to be his usual self just yet. "What happened?"

"I used to do gymnastics." She explained, hoping that they would know what she meant and that gymnastics wasn't some foreign concept in this world. When they nodded along rather than looking confused she continued. "My father made me stop though because he decided that studying was more important."

"And you stopped because he told you to?" Luffy asked with a frown. "Why?"

"Well I didn't really have much of a choice. I _had_ to do what _he_ wanted." She said, rolling off of her back and preparing to try and drop into another split. "But I don't have to worry about him anymore so I guess I can get back into it again, huh?"

"Right!" Luffy said, nodding enthusiastically. "I'll help you!"

"Thanks Luffy." She said with a grin, lowering herself as far as she could. "Maybe by the end of boat trip I'll be able to get into a split again."

And she truly did mean that. While it was a rather painful process, with each attempt she was getting closer and closer to the ground. With a bit of hard work she'd be able to get back her flexibility in no time. But of course she knew getting her flexibility back wasn't all there was to it. Her stamina would need some work and that would take much longer. There was also her muscle mass. While she hadn't put on much weight, she certainly wasn't as toned as she had been. All of this was going to take her time and effort.

 _I can put that time and effort in now though._ She thought, pushing herself closer to the ground, ignoring the burning pain in her legs. _He can't control my life anymore._

* * *

"There, there Yosaku." Nora sighed, rubbing the man's back in what she hoped was a comforting matter. "It's all right."

"How long are you going to cry for?" Luffy asked, sat upon the bow of their small ship. "Cheer up already."

"B-But I'm so touched!" He sobbed, wiping at his tears. "It was truly a beautiful goodbye Brother Cook!"

"Yes but if you keep crying you're going to end up getting dehydrated." Nora spoke, giving a final pat to his back. "So as Luffy said, cheer up."

"You _are_ keeping a check on our boat's direction, right?" Sanji asked, the irritation evident in his voice as he ignored Yosaku's sobs.

They had been out at sea for no more than two hours and Nora was already over it. She had decided to take a break from her yoga and stretching, the pain in her legs becoming far too much for her. And while had managed to put her seasickness out of mind when she had been stretching the moment she had stopped that seemingly ever present queasiness in her stomach had returned. This combined with the fact that she had nothing to do meant she really was not enjoying herself. Yosaku's endless tears weren't doing anything for her either.

 _Perhaps I should do some writing…_ She thought as she stared up at the cloudless blue sky. _I need to write in my journal about everything that happened today…_

"I wanna bring back Nami so we can go to the Grand Line already!" Luffy suddenly called out, stretching his arms above his head in anticipation and halting her thoughts about writing.

"You're awfully happy." Sanji noted, taking a drag of his cigarette. "But even with Nami, don't you still only have five people?"

"Six!" Luffy was quick to cut in, pointing his finger in her direction. "Nora's the writer of the crew. Don't forget her!"

"I don't recall ever joining your crew." She spoke, sticking out her tongue.

"Which was why I didn't include Nora-chwan." Sanji spoke, but never the less continued with his earlier words. "Are you seriously planning to go to the Grand Line with only six people? You'll regret it if you underestimate the seas, you hear?!"

"That's certainly true." Nora nodded in agreement. "It's dangerous in the Grand Line."

"If it's more crewmembers I need, I can do that in the Grand Line too!" Luffy said with his blinding grin. "After all, it's supposed to be a paradise!"

 _The only reason it's called a paradise is because that's what those in the New World call the first half of the Grand Line._ She thought with a small chuckle to herself. The Grand Line is certainly no paradise.

"Paradise?" Sanji cried out in disbelief, shaking his head in disagreement. "Don't you mean a pirate's graveyard?!"

"Before I left the restaurant, Owner Zeff told me that some people call the Grand Line a paradise!" Luffy explained with a gleeful laugh.

"That geezer said that…?" Sanji asked, a perverse look coming onto his face. "Well as long as Nami and Nora will be there, I won't mind even if it's just the three of us alone…"

"Get your head out of the gutter." She groaned as she smacked him across the back of the head. She then muttered to herself. "You were being so well behaved as well…"

"Of course Nora-chwan!" Sanji swooned in response, doing the exact opposite of what she had asked.

"You're all being much too naive! You really know to little about the Grand Line! Not to mention our destination as well!" Yosaku suddenly cried out, his earlier tears now dried up and gone. "If Brother Zoro had some basic knowledge then he'd have come back along with me! An he definitely would have realised just how terrifying the man at the place Sister Nami went to is!"

"So should we eat?" Sanji asked, getting up from his seat to collect some food to cook.

"Heck yeah!" Luffy stupidly cried out, Yosaku's words going completely over his head.

"I think my appetite has started to come back." Nora agreed, nodding at Luffy's question. She had actually been feeling a bit peckish.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about!" Yosaku yelled as she laughed at him. "There's something about the place we're going that you _have_ to know about!"

"That's it's horribly dangerous and there's a very high chance of die?" She asked, laying down on the deck with a sigh. "What's new?"

"The reason why the Grand Line is called the Pirate's Graveyard is because of the three great powers that rule over it. And one of them is the Seven Warlords" Yosaku explained, a serious look crossing his face. "Simply put, they're seven pirates that are authorised by the World Government."

"What?" Sanji spoke, frowning in confusion. "Why would the government permit pirates?"

"You know what they say." Nora said with a snort. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

"As long as the Warlords give a portion of their loot, obtained from pillaging and uncivilised lands, to the government, their pirating activities are officially sanctioned." He continued on with his explanation, the three of them listening intently. "Other pirates might look down on them, calling them government dogs and whatnot, but they're extremely strong!"

That's an understatement. She thought with a small frown, thinking back to Mihawk's actions at the Baratie. A big understatement…

"In fact, the Hawk-Eyed Mihawk who defeated Brother Zoro…" Yosaku spoke with clenched fists, bringing up the very man she had been thinking about. "He is one of the Seven Warlords!"

"Woah! There's seven of these guys?!" Luffy yelled out in shock, his jaw dropping to the floor. "Those Warlord guys are amazing!"

"Hawk-Eyes is probably the most well tempered out of the lot of them as well." Nora said as she thought back to all that she knew with a frown. "The rest of their are a whole world of trouble."

"What?!" Luffy exclaimed, his head whipping to her. "Really?!"

"Really." She confirmed with a nod. "Hopefully we don't cross paths with anymore of them."

"Well actually… the problem is with another one of the Warlords." Yosaku spoke grimly, staring down at the deck. "The leader of the Fishman Pirates, Jinbe."

If only they knew. Nora thought with a small grin. Jinbe is in no way a problem.

"Fishman?" Luffy frowned, crossing his arms. "Never met one before."

"Fishman, huh? Isn't Fishman Island a very famous travel destination in the Grand Line?" Sanji spoke, his eyes closing as a grin spread across his face. She had no doubt that he was imagining himself with some beautiful mermaids. "I've heard the most beautiful mermaids are there."

 _Fishman Island… That's so far away. They won't be going their for over two years, huh?_ She mused, tuning out Yosaku's continued explanation. _It's odd. Sometimes I get reminded where I actually am, who I'm actually with and it just seems so surreal. It's hard to believe all of the stuff that will be happening soon…_

"God! Talking to you two is just useless!" Yosaku yelled at the pair, snapping Nora from her thoughts. "Sister Nora! Back me up!"

"There's a strong fishman Luffy has to beat up." She spoke, laughing to herself as Yosaku yelled out in frustration. "It'll be fine."

I should probably be more stressed about this but oh well. She thought as she enjoyed the sun's rays warming her face. I'm probably too stressed already that I've just taken to ignoring it all.

"In any case, let's eat." Sanji said as he stood up, returning to his earlier plan. "What do you want?"

"Meat on a bone!" Luffy, unsurprisingly yelled out with a an excited fist pump, his mouth already watering.

"Stir-fried bean sprouts!" Yosaku followed quickly, his earlier stress melting away within seconds, proving he was no better than the other two.

"What about you, Nora-chwan?" Sanji asked, turning to her as he took her hand in his own. "I'll cook you a meal full of love!"

"Just something light, please." She responded with a roll of her eyes, removing her hand from his. "I don't want to risk puking again."

"Alright! Leave it to me!" He yelled out as he whisked himself off the prepare the food. She could practically see the hearts around him.

As Sanji rushed off to cook for them, Nora reached into her bag and pulled out her writing equipment. The ocean had been fairly stable for quite some time now so she'd be able to write without to many issues. She hadn't had the chance to write about the events that had taken place at the Baratie and she didn't imagine she would get another chance anytime soon. So she quickly set to work, her pen painting words across the page, detailing the adventure that had happened on the floating restaurant of the East Blue.

"Oh!" Luffy suddenly yelled out in excitement, taking a seat next to her on the floor. "Are you writing your adventure story?"

"I'm writing in my journal. Writing about everything that happened on the Baratie." She explained, her pen momentarily pausing in it's movement. "Although with all the stuff that's been happening recently, my journal does seem to be turning into an adventure story. Just a non-fiction one."

"Can I read it?" He asked, practically jumping up and down in his excitement as her eyebrows rose in shock.

" _You_ want to read it?" She asked in shock, tearing her eyes from the page to look at him in shock. At his nod of confirmation, a smile came onto her lips. "I'll let you read it when it's done."

"But it's a journal!" He whined with a pout on his face. "It'll never be done."

"Exactly." She said, sticking her tongue out before going back to her writing.

She only found her hand halting when she began to write about her conversation with Mihawk. Everything he had said to her, when she looked back on it with the information Zeff had told her, was confusing to look back on. She'd done her best to put thoughts of these events from her mind but just how infamous had her pirate lookalike been if both Red Leg Zeff and Hawk-Eyes had been able to recognise her resemblance? It would appear that Zeff hadn't been exaggerating when he told her that she'd be in trouble.

But what can I do about it? She sighed, tapping her pen against her leg as she considered her situation. I could always do my best to change how I look or I could just walk around with a mask, although both of those ideas are rather impractical…

"Nora-chwan!" Sanji swooned as he left the kitchen, a number of plates in his hand. "I've cooked you your meal!"

"Ah. Thank you Sanji." She said with a grateful smile, closing her journal and getting up to the small table that Yosaku had set up earlier. On top of it she could see an array of meals. "It all looks delicious!"

"Eat whatever you want." He spoke, pulling out a chair for her. "The other two morons don't get to take any until you've had got what you wanted."

"Well then, I guess I'll dig in." She grinned, the delicious smells wafting from the food wiping her mind of any thoughts of seasickness. "Thanks you Sanji!"

And with that, she began to eat with Luffy and Yosaku watching her with pouts of envy on their faces.

* * *

 **And this chapter is finally done! This took me far longer to get done then I would have liked and I am so so sorry for leaving you all for so long! I've finished one of my major projects at school now so I don't have as much to stress about so updates will be back to normal now!**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I tried to include quite a few things in it so sorry if it's to much! What are your thoughts on everything that's happened so far? Do you have any theories on what Zeff was saying to her? Let me know because I'd love to see what you guys are thinking!**

 **I'm actually so excited because we're getting closer and closer to Lougetown which is actually where a lot of important stuff will be happening! I just can't wait to write it! I was originally planning to include the Apis arc but I don't think that will fit so we'll have to see how that goes!**

 **Don't forget to follow my writing tumblr (dreamscape-fanfics tumblr com) and send some asks there because it hasn't been all that active and I'd really like for it to be!**

 **Well I don't really have much else to say so hopefully you are all continuing to enjoy this story! Thanks for reading and please don't forget to leave a review and favourite/follow this story! I'll see all of you lovely people next chapter :)**


	14. Sea Cows & Flying Boats

**Sorry for the wait guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

* * *

The Misadventures of Nora

Chapter 14

Sea Cows & Flying Boats

* * *

"We could of just had a normal trip. But _no!_ " Nora screeched, gripping onto the ship's mast like a koala, the harsh wind bringing tears to her eyes. "We just _had_ to do it this way!"

"Faster! Faster!" Luffy yelled, standing at the front of the ship, a grin across his face. "Full speed ahead to Arlong Park!"

"Faster?!" Nora yelled over the roaring wind, holding onto the mast for her dear life. "Are you _insane_?!"

 _Why do I even bother asking?_ She thought as her grip on the mast tightened, her legs weaving around it. _It should be obvious enough by now that he's insane!_

She knew she should have gone with Usopp and Zoro when they had left, she _knew_. She would have avoided a _number_ of things. But no. She instead ended up being stuck with the group of morons that decided to use a Grand Line sea cow, yes a literal _sea cow_ (she'd naturally decided to name it Bullshit), to pull their ship across the ocean at terrifyingly high speeds. She would choose a long trip full of seasickness over _this_ anyday. She'd had enough of a shock when the sea monster had appeared, she saw her life flash before her eyes as she choked on her food at the site, and while watching Sanji and Luffy beat it into submission had provided her with some entertainment out on the vast ocean, her amusement had vanished when the pair had decided to harness it to the ship.

On the plus side, she was too busy being terrified for her life to even think about feeling sick so at least Sanji's cooking hadn't gone to waste.

"I can see Arlong Park!" Sanji yelled out. This news would have perhaps excited Nora if it wasn't for the worry she heard in his voice moments later. "Hey! You're swimming the wrong way! Turn to the left!"

 _Is this my life now? Am I destined to just constantly get into life threatening situations?_ She thought as her eyes squeezed shut. _What sort of entity did I piss off to deserve this?_

"We're gonna crash into the shore!" She heard Yosaku's shout of horror, confirming her worries.

"This is it. This is how I die." She all but sobbed as her knuckles turned white around the mast and her head began to spin. "It's almost as if I can already see the light at the end of the tunnel."

"Nora-chwan!" Sanji cried out as he slid almost comically across the deck. "You can't die!"

 _I don't have any plot armour like these three idiots!_ She cursed as her grip tightened, watching the idiot-chef somehow manage to not fall from the ship. _This is really it for me._

As Bullshit the sea cow came to sudden stop, crashing into the shoreline, Nora got that oh so familiar, and unwelcome, feeling of her stomach dropping, almost as if she was on a rollercoaster. It was a shame that this _wasn't_ just some rollercoaster: she quite enjoyed them. Instead it was a ship that had been catapulted through the air by a sea monster. If she hadn't been so terrified she was sure that she could of admired the birds eye view of the island: it probably would have made a good photo even.

"It's like we're really flying!" Luffy yelled out with a shout of excitement. She really couldn't believe him, the idiot was _enjoying_ this. Must be one of the perks of being made of rubber. You don't have to worry about falling to your death after your boat is thrown into the air by a sea-cow.

"That's because we _were_ sent flying, you idiot!" Sanji yelled out in panic. "Nora-chwan, hold on!"

"Wow! Good idea! Can't believe I didn't think of that!" She shrieked as the ship's flight path began to descend. "I was actually just about to let go!"

"We have more important things to worry about!" Yosaku cried out, the fear in his voice loud and clear. "We're gonna fall!"

It was ironic, really. Almost the moment Yosaku said those words, the stern of the ship tilted forwards and suddenly they were no longer flying through the air. Instead they were crashing down to the ground. All her life she'd worried about falling from the sky in an airplane. Falling from the sky in a boat had never crossed her mind.

As the falling ship crashed through the numerous trees, or at least she was assuming they were trees, there was no way in hell she was opening her eyes to look around, Nora felt her body get thrown around. If she managed to somehow survive this she'd be sore and bruised. If she didn't survive, well she wasn't going to be the most pleasing corpse to look at. With one final crash, she lost her grip on the mast, groans and curses slipping past her lips as her body went tumbling across the deck, slamming into the front of the ship besides a far to pleased looking Luffy.

"Whoa!" He laughed with a grin, his hand keeping his straw hat in place. "We've landed!"

"Then why are we still moving?!" She yelled, garnering the courage to peek over the railing of the ship as she ignored the burning pain that ached _everywhere_.

As she peeked over the railing, she watched the ship pummel through the forest, tearing down trees, bushes and anything else that happened to get in its path. With the wind still stinging her eyes, Nora squinted in confusion when she suddenly saw a tree that for some reason didn't look like the others. She couldn't figure out why, she could see the trees green leaves, but something about it just seemed rather untreelike.

 _That's not a tree!_ She realised, her eyes widening and her jaw dropping. _That's Zoro!_

And with that, Nora was thrown around one last time as the ship collided with Luffy's first mate and _finally_ came to a skidding stop.

 _I'm dead. I must be dead._ She decided as she went limp against the ground her eyes squeezed shut, the ships wreckage surrounding her. _There's no way I survived that. My soul just must be taking a while to leave my body. Dying twice so close to each other must be a bit of a shock for it._

When thirty seconds passed and nothing happened, she slowly opened one eye, glancing around at the scene that surrounded her. When she realised that yes, she could in fact open her eyes, she tried to sit up. While pain shot through her body at the movement it confirmed that _no_ , she hadn't died. How that was possible she wasn't quite sure but she wasn't about to question it. She may have ended up in some insane world but she'd choose that over floating in endless darkness for eternity any day.

"Nora-chwan!" She heard a voice, no doubt belonging to Sanji, yell out. Within seconds the chef appeared from under a pile of what was once his ship and came rushing over to her in a panic. "Are you okay?!"

"Oi!" Yosaku yelled out, appearing from under his own pile of wreckage. The man looked, well he looked like he's just been in a boat crash but other than that he appeared to have no serious injuries. "What about me?"

"You'll be fine." Sanji responded bluntly before turning towards her, his hand gripping her own in panic. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt? Can you move? Do you need me to carry you? Do you want me to kiss it better? Is anything bro-"

"I'm fine Sanji." Nora quickly cut him off before he could further bombard her with questions, taking back her hand to use it to push her hair from her face. "And no, I don't need you to kiss it better or anything. I just need a moment to breathe."

"We've arrived at Arlong Park!" Luffy yelled as he to appeared from beneath the wreckage. "We've finally made it!"

And we somehow made it in one piece. Nora thought as she shook her head in disbelief. I just survived falling from the sky in a boat.

"The hell do you think you're doing?!" She heard Zoro's voice boom, anger and disbelief evident in his voice. Truth be told she did actually feel quite bad for him in this situation. She supposed he'd drawn the short of the stick really. He had been the one to get hit by a flying boat. It was quite unbelievable, really. The chances of getting hit by a flying boat really should be quite slim. But then again, this was _One Piece_ and when Luffy was involved, anything was possible she supposed.

"We were just, you know, dropping in." She told him, a groan escaping past her lips as she propped herself up against a piece of the ship. She was pretty sure it was the mast. At the swordsman flat look, all she could do was smile in return. Or at least she attempted to smile. She was pretty sure it ended up looking more like a grimace.

"We've obviously come to get Nami back." Luffy spoke with his hand on his hat. "Haven't you found her yet? Where's Usopp and Johnny?"

"Usopp? Oh crap!" Zoro spoke as he jumped up from the ground, moving to runoff in what Nora assumed was most likely the wrong direction. "Now's not the time to be wasting time!"

"Hm. What's wrong?" Luffy asked, halting Zoro in his path.

"The idiot got himself caught by Arlong!" Zoro explained as he whipped around the face them. "If we don't hurry up, he'll be ki-"

Before Zoro could finish speaking, he was cut off by a loud and distraught shout.

"He was already killed! It's too late." Johnny, appearing from through the forest cried out. "Brother Usopp was murdered by Sister Nami!"

 _And this is where thing begin to get interesting._ Nora thought with a sigh, closing her eyes as she massaged her temples. _I just hope that this day goes by quickly because I need a nap._

As a stunned silence hung heavy in the air, she glanced around at the shocked and disbelieving faces around her. Seeing them so upset, she wanted to tell them what she knew. That Usopp was fine and that Nami hadn't killed him, but she knew she couldn't do that. There were to many things set out that she couldn't dare to change. Even the slightest bit of interference from her could ruin so many things. One thing that she could do, however, was break the stunned silence.

"Johnny." She spoke, causing the man to turn to face her. "Are you sure that that's what you saw?"

"Yes!" He cried out, stepping closer to them, his hands shaking. "I saw Sister Nami stab him and push him into the ocean. I saw the blood!"

"No." Luffy said, anger evident in his voice. "I don't believe you."

"That's what I saw!" Johnny yelled back in protest.

And with that, all hell broke loose.

Luffy jumped towards Johnny, his anger getting the best of him as he gripped onto the man's collar. He was in denial, not that she could blame him. If she didn't know what she knew, well she wasn't sure how she would react. All she knew was that she'd be upset to put in lightly. As the yelling and fighting continued though, she couldn't help but flinch back, the scene in front of her bringing back memories that she'd rather not have to think about.

 _I can't stand watching this._ She though as she moved to stand, intending to at least try to break the fight a part. _I need to do something._

"Nora." She heard Sanji spoke from besides her, grabbing onto her arm as she moved to take a step forward. "Let them figure this out. Don't get involved."

"I can't just sit and watch this though!" She spoke, her hands clenched at her side. It seemed that she wouldn't have to however. Almost seconds after she said that, an all to familiar voice suddenly drifted through the air, causing everyone to freeze in their tracks.

"Just who did you call crewmates Luffy?" She spoke, standing with her weapon in her hands and her arms crossed against her chest. "What did you come to this island for?"

"I'm too tired for this." Nora sighed, sitting herself back on the floor. "I really just need a nap."

She found herself zoning out for most of the conversation that occurred over the next few minutes. All she knew was that there was a lot of yelling, a few stupid responses and a whole lot of lying on Nami's part that eventually ended with Luffy taking a nap and the navigator storming off. She couldn't really bare to listen: hearing Nami say all these things when she knew the truth was hard for Nora. She knew what it was like to have to act the way that Nami was and she knew just how painful it would be.

 _Why does everyone have to be so sad?_ She thought as she laid back, staring up at the sky. _Poor Nami… I probably should keep my mouth shut but I_ need _to say something._

"Hey!" Nora called out, halting the fuming girl in her path. She lifted her head slightly so she could make eye-contact with the navigator. Smiling, she sent a wave to the girl and spoke. "Be sure to treat your hand properly. It'll scar badly if you don't!"

She wasn't surprised when she received no response but she did notice a slight faulter in the girls step and that was enough to get her to relax and go back to staring up at the cleat blue sky.

 _It's kind of ironic, really_. She thought as she stared at bright blue sky. _Normally sad places have more fitting dreary weather…_

* * *

Sometime had passed since then and in that time, Johnny and Yosaku had left them and Sanji and Zoro had joined her and Luffy on the floor. If it wasn't for the fact that there was an insane fishman pirate on the island, Nami had seemingly betrayed them and it was thought that Usopp was dead, Nora imagined this would actually be quite a relaxing time. The sun was warm and beaming down on them and the birds were chirping happily in what was left of the forest. It was a shame that the peace wasn't going to last for much longer. Soon the real party would be starting.

She was yet to figure out where she'd go and what she'd do when the fighting between the two pirate crews broke out. On one hand she _really_ wanted to watch Arlong get what he deserved but on the other hand, she didn't want to end up getting dragged into it and dying. Perhaps she could just hang out with the civilians that she recalled waiting outside Arlong Park and watching the fight…

"Hey." Sanji spoke, breaking the almost unnerving silence and catching hers and Zoro's attention. "You think Nami really killed long-nose?"

"Not a chance." Nora spoke with a snort, staring at the sky and watching as the clouds blew past. "I don't believe it for a second."

"You sound pretty confident about that." Zoro said to her, eyebrows raised and a smirk on his face. "But who knows? Maybe after I called her 'small time' she got so pissed off that she really did kill him."

"You shouldn't say things like that to a lady." She laughed in amusement, watching as Sanji processed the swordsman's words.

"Small time?!" Sanji ground out around his cigarette. All that she could do was roll her eyes and laugh as the two leapt to attack each other.

However in the distance she noticed a figure that made her sit up, her amusement growing further. She Usopp running towards them and she immediately grinned at what she realised was about to happen. This wasn't a photo she was willing to miss out on. As she pulled out her camera in preparation, Sanji shouted: "Nami's breasts aren't small time!"

And with that, Usopp's face was smashed between Sanji's leg and Zoro's sword and Nora immortalised the moment with a picture.

Grinning as the photo came out of her camera, she laughed as it slowly developed. Turning to the absolutely mortified looking duo, she couldn't help but let out a bellowing laugh.

"You were both so worried about Nami killing Usopp that now you've gone and done it yourself." Nora snorted, waving the polaroid in the air. "But that's okay. I have photographic evidence that'll clear Nami's name if people try to pass this off as her doing."

"Oi." Zoro said with a frown, reaching to grab the picture. "Give that here."

"You're welcome to take it if you want." She replied, wiggling her eyebrows as she stuck it in her bra. "Come on Zoro. You said you wanted it."

"Don't you even think about it." Sanji yelled, running to act as a shield between Nora and the stuttering swordsman. "I'll kill you if you try."

Standing up from her spot on the ground with a laugh, the polaroid still down her top, she walked over to prod Usopp with her foot just to make sure that they _hadn't_ actually killed the poor sharp-shooter. When he let out a groan of pain at the small kick, she heaved a sigh of relief. They'd managed to do quite some damage to his face. She was glad they hadn't knocked him out completely.

"Look what you've done to the poor boy." She said as she turned to the pair that were still facing off with a flat look as she prodded Usopp again. "You've broken him."

"Let's just wake Luffy up." Zoro spoke, avoiding eye-contact, his face still red as he made his way to the captain. "We can deal with that later."

"By 'that' you mean the injuries you've caused to poor young Usopp?!" She cried out dramatically, shifting his bruised and beaten face to look at the pair. "You want to wait after you've caused him so much pain?"

"I'm sorry Nora-chwan!" Sanji cried out. She imagined that out of context it would have sounded as if she had been the one he'd just kicked in the face. "I didn't mean to cause you this pain."

"I-I'm the... one in... pain." Usopp managed to speak, his voice quiet and croaky. "Y-You… ba… bastard…"

"There, there, Usopp. We'll find a doctor for you." She said with a grin, patting his head lightly. "Maybe there'll be a reindeer somehow nearby to help."

Either no one heard that last comment or they simply choose to ignore it. Either way, she was quite proud of her little inside joke with herself.

 _Well I suppose I can't feel to sorry for him. This is only the start of the 'Usopp gets badly injured' chronicles._ She thought with a quiet chuckle. _If he can't deal with this then he's got another thing coming for him when they get to Alabasta._

"Usopp!" Came a shout as a blur of red cam rushing past her, taking Usopp from her arms. The now awake Luffy stared at the beaten form of his crewmate in horror. "Did Nami do this to you?!"

"Uh no." Sanji spoke with a nervous laugh, gesturing between himself and Zoro. "That was actually because of him and I."

"You mean just you." Zoro lied through his teeth, making Nora roll her eyes.

"It was both of them." She told Luffy happily with a grin, taking the polaroid from her shirt to show him. "Here's the photographic evidence!"

"How do you always manage to get photos like this?" Usopp groaned, sitting up in shock, his injuries seemingly forgotten. His eyes then widened at the sight of his captain. "Ah, Luffy! You're here too?"

"Yup." Was Luffy's simple reply shortly followed by Sanji guilty informing Usopp that he'd decided to come along.

"We came here by thanks to a cow named Bullshit and a flying boat." Nora added in, carefully placing her newest polaroid into the folds of her journal. At his disbelieving look, she turned to point at Zoro. "If you don't believe me, ask Zoro!"

"I saw the flying boat but I don't recall seeing any cow…" He responded he frowned, seemingly looking around for the cow. "I still don't see one."

"In any case, the problem is Nami. She saved my life." Usopp spoke cutting her off before she could protest, his demeanor growing grim. "If you ask me, there must be some reason she ended up joining the Arlong Pirates!"

"Told you she didn't do it." Nora spoke, sticking her tongue out at Zoro. One Zoro, two Nora. "Now you can save Nami and she can be your navigator again."

 _Oh, would you look at that_. She thought to herself as she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. _It looks like there's some more movement in the story now._

"It's useless." A feminine voice called out to them, capturing their attention. "No matter what you do, you won't be able to change Arlong's rule."

And there she was. Nami's older sister. Nora was yet again reminded of how strange it was to be seeing these characters as _real_ people. It was so strange and she doubted she'd ever get used to it. She couldn't see herself waking up every day, receiving the newspaper from a bird and then reading through it and seeing the faces of notorious pirates that she knew from a fictional world. She had enough struggle with fake news back in her world, now in this world all news would seem fake to her.

"Who's she?" Luffy asked, pointing towards her rather bluntly, bringing her back to reality. When Usopp explained that she was Nami's sister, Nojiko, Sanji broke out into a whirlwind of hearts.

 _That poor boy really needs to get a better hold on himself around women._ She thought with a sigh, shaking her head. _He'd avoid so much trouble if he did._

"N-N-Nami's sister? Well no wonder why she's so beautiful!" He cried out in bliss as his face turned red. His face then grew even more pigmented as he turned towards Nora. She had no doubt that he was going to say something she'd rather _not_ hear. "Do you have a sister Nora-chwan?"

"No Sanji." She rolled her eyes, patting his head sympathetically. "You'll have to deal with there only being one of me."

"What do you mean useless?" Zoro asked, bringing everyone's attention back to the real problem at hand, shaking his head at his newest crewmates antics.

"Please don't involve yourselves with this village any further." Nojiko said, her arms on her hips as she watched them. "I'll tell you all about how things got this way so in return I want you to just leave quietly."

"This lot and the word 'quietly' aren't two things that go together very well." Nora mused with a small laugh. She could only grin at the girl as Nojiko turned to her with a confused frown. "From the looks of it, Luffy has no intentions of being quiet."

"She's right." Luffy spoke, walking past Nojiko and towards the forest, a hard look on his face. "I'm not really interested in her past. I'm taking a walk."

 _Well seeing as how I already know about this I guess I'm not interested either…_ She thought, watching as he made his way into the forest. _And if I recall correctly, he should be headed towards one of the towns…_

"I'll come with you." Nora decided, jogging to catch up with the captain. "I kinda want to see more of this island if I'm planning to stay here."

"Are you two serious?! Taking a walk?" Usopp yelled out as his jaw dropped. "You're not going to listen?"

"No." Luffy confirmed, only pausing to let her catch up before continuing to walk. "I'm cool."

"Me to." Nora said, turning to walk backwards as she waved at the group. "Have fun! Stay out of trouble!"

* * *

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Nora asked as her and Luffy weaved their way through the thick forest. She couldn't help but feel tense: the last time she'd been in a forest like this she'd had to deal with an insane hypnotist that left her with an awfully bruised stomach.

"Nope." Luffy responded, moving a branch of the way before letting go of it. He only glanced back when she fell to the ground to avoid be knocked out by said branch. "Why're you on the ground?"

"I just needed a break." She drawled out, a flat look on her face. That look turned to a frown when Luffy nodded in agreement and took a seat across from her. "What are you doing?"

"Taking a break." He said with a nod, as if confirming his own statement. His face however quickly turned serious as he frowned at her. "Hey Nora?"

"Yes?" She asked, a frown of her own growing at his sudden change in demeanor. She knew that everything that had happened today was quite serious but she didn't think it would warrant Luffy of all people wanting to have a serious conversation with her. She could only hope that it wasn't anything to bad.

"Are you really planning on staying on this island?" He spoke, his question surprising her. She had been expecting a serious conversation but she hadn't't been expecting this. Truthfully she'd just expected him to try and drag her along like he usually did, not to sit down and actually discuss it with her.

C _an I really see myself settling down here and making a living? Would I even be able to make a living? The dynamics of this world is completely different to what I'm used to_. She mused over it in her head, leaning back on her hands as the wind blew through her hair.

That question was something that she'd been putting out her mind, especially since the what she found out on the Baratie. She could ignore all that Mihawk and Zeff said. There was a chance that no one would come to this island and mistake her as a relative to that old pirate. But then, what if they did? What if one day the marines showed up? Based on what she'd be told, that would really be it for her.

 _You're going to be branded a criminal either way. You might as well be a criminal surrounded by friends._ Zeff's words echoed in her head, deepening her frown.

That brought up another problem that she'd been avoiding. Truth be told, she did want to go with them. She wanted to experience the adventures with them: to explore the mysterious Grand Line. In the short time she'd spent with them, she had gotten closer to them than she had to anyone in a long time. On top of that, she would no doubt be able to write the story she'd always dreamed of writing. She could record their adventures and one day, someone would read those tales of a great adventure and wonder if it was all real. If she went with them, she'd have all that she'd ever wanted; friends, adventure and freedom. But could she survive out there? She really didn't think so.

"...I don't know." Nora finally responded, sighing as she ran her hands through her hair. "I just, I don't think I could survive the Grand Line."

"We'd protect you." Luffy said, leaning forward with one of the brightest grins she'd ever seen. It was almost as if her not out right saying no had lit a fire inside of his eyes: he was practically bouncing in excitement as he spoke. "And you could learn. You could become a swordsman like Zoro!"

"I don't think I'd ever be as scary as Zoro." She'd said, throwing her head back in laughter. Shaking her head, she stood up from the ground, reaching out her hand to pull Luffy up after her. "I'll tell you what, we'll see how things go on this island and I'll see if I like it here. If not, perhaps I'll go with you guys for a little more."

"So you're joining my crew?" Luffy asked as she pulled him up, that blinding grin still on his face. "You'll be our writer and photographer!"

"I didn't say that Luffy." She spoke as she rolled her eyes, resuming their trek through the forest. As he happily bounced around, rushing onwards with a shout of excitement, she realised that it was too late to argue with him now. Shaking her head, all she could do was jog to catch up to the boy and mutter: "I said I'll see how things go."

 _I just hope that whatever decision I make is the right one…_ She thought, staring down with a frown. _I get the feeling that I'll be in for a world of trouble no matter what I do._

* * *

Nora knew the moment that she laid eyes on him that he was a complete and utter rat. Her whole body was tense as the _slimey_ man walked past her and Luffy. Even if he didn't have whiskers and a hood with rodent ears on it she still would have made that connection. Watching as the marine whose name she couldn't remember strode past them, escorting the man with a pinwheel hat, Gen his name was if she remembered correctly, she instantly felt the need to slam her foot into his face. Now by no means was she a particularly violent person but just as she had with Helmeppo and Fullbody, she just felt disgusted at the sight of yet another corrupt marine. This feeling was only made worse by the pain that she knew this _rat_ was about to cause Nami.

She only let herself relax when the man was completely out of sight, the sounds of the marines footsteps no longer audible. The only positive part of that encounter was the fact that Luffy had, for some reason or another, decided to remain silent. If he had caught the attention of those marines and somehow sparked an altercation with them, Nora wouldn't have hesitated to take a note from Sanji's book and kick that rat in the face.

"Why does that man have a pinwheel on his head!?" Luffy turned to her, his face morphed into a look of utter shock. She resisted the urge to facepalm when she realised that that was why he'd remained silent. "Did you see that Nora?!"

"I did." She muttered, eyeing the confused faces of the villagers. "I don't know how I feel about seeing all of those marins though."

"Maybe they're here to help?" Luffy spoke, continuing on his walk. "But since we found a town, why don't we look around so you can decide that you don't like it and then join my crew?"

 _So he did hear what I said earlier…_

* * *

No more than fifteen minutes had passed and the pair had managed to wander around the majority of the town. Nora wasn't quite sure how to feel about it. On the last few islands she hadn't been given the chance to have a proper look around to see her potential new home. Having been given the chance this time, she kinda wished that she hadn't taken it. It wasn't that she hated the town it was just, well, she'd grown up in a big city her whole life. She liked peace but she wasn't sure she could deal with living in such a quaint town. Even in the midst of the crisis they were in, it still seemed oddly quiet. Whether that was from fear of the Arlong Pirates or not, she just couldn't see herself spending her whole life there.

If I hadn't looked around I wouldn't be doubting my choices. She groaned, her eyes scanning the small town. I'm sure I could get used to it...

"So have you decided not to stay?" Luffy pestered from besides her, leant back against a tree. She wouldn't admit it, but those thoughts were certainly running through her head. "You won't find anything interesting to write about here. There's no adventures!"

"I could come up with some, though." She laughed, closing her eyes as she let the sun beam down on her face. She could worry about everything later on. "This town is peaceful so I'd be able to write without interruptions."

"No." Luffy shook his head, making her eyebrows raise.

"No?"

"No."

"No to what?"

"No to staying on this island." He said, crossing his arms with a pout. "It's boring and as your captain, I've decided you can't stay here."

"Huh?!" Nora yelled, whipping around to scowl at him. "Since when did I agree to join your crew?"

As much as she would have loved to continue that conversation and remind Luffy that she had never actually joined his crew, something else quickly caught not only theirs, but the townspeople's attention as well. They had all gathered in a crowd around a small alleway, panicked looks on their faces as they crouched of whatever, or in the case whoever, was in the centre of it.

"Don't tell me the marines shot her?" Came one of the many panicked shouts from the townspeople who had gathered around what Nora was sure was Nojiko.

"What's going on Gen?!" Came another shout of fear. "What happened?"

"Oh?" She heard Luffy say as he stood, trying to get a better look into the crowd of people. "What do you think happened?"

"Let's go over and check it out." She responded, following closely behind him, her brows furrowing in worry. _I just hope everyone is okay…_

When Luffy walked up to the all ready agitated and suspicious townspeople with a cheerful smile on his face, Nora once again had to resist the urge to facepalm. She ended up actually facepalming at the words that he spoke next. Sometimes he really needed to read the situation better before he opened his rubber mouth.

"Hey Nami!" He called out as Nora rubbed at her temples, sighing as she immediately saw the navigators face morph into one of absolute anger. This really wasn't going to go well. "Need any help?"

 _Uh oh._ She thought, cringing as Nami dived towards the rubber boy, taking him by the collar. _This_ really _isn't going to go to well._

"This has nothing to do with you! It has nothing to do with either of you!" Nami bellowed, pointing between Nora and Luffy. "Just get the hell off of this island!"

With those words, Nami pushed Luffy flying, almost knocking Nora down in the process as she sprinted away, her teeth gritted with tears forming in the navigators eyes. She felt her heart sinking at the sight of the other girls pain. If only there was something she could do… Right now, Nami was running towards Arlong Park and the only thing Nora would be able to do if she followed was die. She once again felt helpless. Completely and utterly helpless.

 _I need to snap out of this._ She told herself, shaking her head as she turned to Luffy who was adjusting his straw hat, sat crossed leg on the floor. _Luffy's here. He'll be able to save Nami. Everything will be_ fine.

"You okay Luffy?" She asked, walking over to him after one final glance in the direction that Nami had run off in. "That really didn't go to well…"

"I'm fine…" Luffy spoke, pouting as he glared ahead. "But jeez. What's with her?"

"You know she didn't mean any of that."Arlong is to blame for this." Nora stated, taking a seat besides the boy, watching the townspeople closely. "Let's just stick around here for a while though. The people are looking agitated. I think something's about to happen."

Luffy simply nodded and sat besides her, the frown never leaving his face.

She wasn't sure how long they sat like that, silence filling the air between them as they watched the villagers. It seemed that the they were finally over Arlong's rule. Watching as they grouped together, Gen at the head, the situation began to feel so real to her. Nora could feel her heart racing. This island was going to turn into a very dangerous place very _very_ soon. She was once again struck with the reality of the situation. These were no longer background characters whose existence was based around Nami, these were real people with real lives. She could hear it in the desperation of their voiced and see it in the pain on their faces.

"Luffy." Nora spoke, standing from her seat. "I'm going to go over and see Nami's sister."

His only response was a nod as she cautiously walked over to the group of villagers. After the incident earlier with Luffy, the last thing she needed to do was cause trouble and make the villagers think she was some sort of enemy to Nami. Slowly weaving through the crowds she made her way to Nojiko. Upon getting a closer look at the girl, she was both relieved and shocked to see her looking so well. While she was pale from blood loss, she was looking good for someone who _had_ just been shot.

As Nora came to a stop in front of the girl, some nearby villagers gave her cautious stares, watching her as if they expected her to pounce. It was unnerving to say the least but she couldn't _really_ blame them. After spending so long under the rule of pirates and to then be betrayed by corrupt marines… well Nora knew that'd she'd be pretty damn suspicious of strangers on the island as well. With that in mind, she tried to ignore the way that the air was still and silent as she stood before Nami's sister.

 _I really need to think before I act._ She almost groaned aloud as silence hung in the air, thick and heavy like a fog. _This really isn't the time for a friendly chat… I shouldn't have come over._

"I think I'm beginning to understand what you meant when you said they weren't a bunch who did things quitely." Nojiko spoke, her voice strained but strong nonetheless as she broke the silence that had filled the air. She then let out a soft laugh, wincing as she did so. "Nami's found herself a strange group of friends."

Words could not describe how relieved she was that the other girl had spoken. Perhaps it was inappropriate considering the what had just happened to the other girl but Nora couldn't help but feel as if she had dodged a bullet.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Nora responded, laughing as she glanced back at a still frowning Luffy. She then turned back to her with a frown of her own. "But I actually came over here because I wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"Me? I'm fine." Nojiko furrowed her eyebrows as she glanced around at the agitated villagers before staring down the path Nami had run off to. "I'm more worried about Nami."

"I can't say I blame you for that." She frowned, staring at the ground as she kicked her foot against the ground anxiously. "Scary things are about to be happening on this island."

 _The word scary is an understatement_. Nora thought to herself with a small wince. _Terrifying would be a better choice of word…_

"Was she happy?" Nojiko spoke, suddenly changing the subject and staring up at Nora. "Did she enjoy being out at sea, going on adventures?"

She didn't respond straight away, instead taking a moment to reflect back on her time spent with the navigator. From the time she spent around her, with the crew to when it was just the two of them in the girls cabin, she thought about all of those memories. In her mind, she wanted to say yes, to say that Nami had been happy and free of worry but that wasn't the truth.

"It's hard to say but I do want to say yes." She finally responded, wringing her hands as she reflected on all the time she'd spent with the girl. "I haven't known her all that long but… I do believe that Luffy and his crew made her happy. I'm sure she still had, well all of this, in the back of her mind but I think they made her forget it. They gave her something to enjoy perhaps."

"I see." Nojiko responded, faraway look coming onto her face as she went back to staring off into the distance her sister had gone. "Thank you."

Nora took that as her cue to leave when the other girl became too lost in thoughts that she was sure were to personal for her to ask about. So with that, she gave the girl one last smile before weaving her way out of the growing mob of villagers and making her way back to Luffy. Sitting herself besides him on the uneven ground, she leant back and closed her eyes, letting out a sigh as the sun warmed her face.

 _This peace won't last much longer so I might as well enjoy it while I can._

* * *

 **And there we go! Chapter 14 is officially finished! What do you all think? This one ended up taking me quite some time but I'm actually proud of the end result. I feel like I was able to incorporate a lot of Nora's thoughts and interactions without steering off from the plot all too much. And if you liked this chapter, I know that you'll love the next one because I'm planning to put our dear Nora in a bit of a situation ;)**

 **Once again, I'm so sorry for the late update but in that time some exciting things happened! This story has reached 250+ followers which is INSANE! And on top of that, we're almost at 100 reviews which is so so exciting! So a huge thank you to all of my lovely readers!**

 **And a little reminder to follow my writing tumblr (dreamscape-fanfics tumblr com)! I haven't posted a lot there because I haven't been getting any asks so please feel free to send some in!**

 **And of course, don't forget to favourite, follow and leave a review and I'll see you people for the next chapter!**


End file.
